•Hniffil 


STURLATA  STILES 


Stela-Stiles  Tragedy, 


BY 

O.    E.    TURNER, 


AUTHOU  OF 


•  INTEGRAL  EDUCATION,"  "LOVE  VS.  FASCINATION,"  ETC. 


WITH  POKTHAITS  OF 

STURLATA  STILES,  CHARLES  STILES,  Hon.  L.  L. 
MILLS  AND  A.  S.  TRUDE. 


CHICAGO : 

PUBLISHED  BY  O.  E.  HAMMOND. 
1883. 


Copyrighted 

O.  E.  HAMMOND. 

1883. 


CONTENTS. 


PART    FIRST. 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER  I.— Birth  and  Early  Childhood  of  Car- 

lotta  Theressa  Sturalatta 13 

CHAPTER  H.— Birth  and  Early  Childhood  of  Charles 

Stiles 18 

CHAPTER  in.— The  Owl  Club 27 

CHAPTER  TV.— Theressa  Sturla  and  Charles  Stiles— 
The  Beginning  of  Their  Acqniant- 
ance 30 

PART   SECOND. 

CHAPTER        I.— Particulars  of  The  Trial 71) 

CHAPTER      H.— The  Trial  Continued 83 

CHAPTER    III— The  Trial  Continued 87 

CHAPTER     IV.— The  Trial  Continued 98 

CHAPTER       V.— The  Trial  Continued 103 

CHAPTER     VI— The  Trial  Continued 118 

CHAPTER   VH.— The  Trial— Mr.  Mills'  Hypothetical 

Question 123 

CHAPTER  TELL— The  Trial— Testimony  of  Theressa 

Sturla..  .  143 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER     IX.-  The  Trial  Continued 169 

CHAPTER       X.— The  Trial— The  Closing  Speeches.   182 
CHAPTER     XL— The  Trial— The  Closing  Speeches 

Concluded 212 

PART    THIRD. 
CONCLUSIONS  BY  THE  AUTHOR. 

CHAPTER  I— Crimes  and  Corruptions  Resulting 

from  Desecration  of  Marriage 229 

CHAPTER  II— Early  Influences  and  Education  as 

Affecting  Character 241 

CHAPTER  III— Social  and  Moral  Inequality  of  the 
Sexes  Encourages  Libertinism — 
Man  and  Woman 246 

CHAPTER  IV.— Degredation  of  Labor  and  Extrava- 
gance in  Dress  as  Causes  of  Pros- 
titution   253 

CHAPTER  V. — Intemperance  a  Cause  of  Crime — 

Theressa  Sturla  and  Charles  Stiles .  258 


INTBODUCTOBY. 


THE  great  interest  which  the  Sturla-Stiles  tragedy  has 
awakened,  and  the  fact  that  it  is  replete  with  developments 
of  character  and  phases  of  life  which  invite  the  attention 
not  only  of  members  of  th<6  Bar,  but,  equally  of  physicians 
and  all  thinking  minds,  has  induced  me  to  gather  and  pre- 
pare the  following  items  of  biography  for  publication;  also 
to  give  a  report  of  the  trial  and  such  thoughts  in  conclu- 
sion as  have  suggested  themselves  to  my  mind,  not  only  in 
view  of  the  tragedy  detailed,  but  by  a  general  survey  of 
the  corruptions  existing  in  society  at  large. 

The  trial  as  herein  given  was  taken  by  an  official 
reporter,  on  the  occasion.  The  physicians  who  testified  on 
both  sides  of  the  case  are  men  of  distinction  pre-eminently 
high  in  their  profession. 

Doctors  Brower  and  Lyman  have  been  practitioners  for 
more  tlum  thirty  years.  Both  have  been,  and  still  are, 
connected  with  institutions  where  the  insane  are  treated, 
and  stand  equal  in  their  profession  with  any  physicians  in 
the  country.  Their  views  on  the  question  involved  in  the 
case  and  the  medical  and  scientific  authorities  collected  by 
them  and  cited  herein,  on  the  subject  of  insanity  and 
irresponsibility,  will  be  valuable  both  to  the  legal  and 
medical  profession. 

The  hypothetical  questions  in  the  case  are  not  only  of 
interest  to*  the  professions,  but  are  in  themselves  a  romance 
The  one  used  in  the  defense  is  not  only  the  longest,  but 
one  of  the  most  interesting  ever  introduced. 

In  presenting  these  pages  to  the  urgus  eye  of  the  public 
I  would  not  coine  forth  with  brain  and  pen,  merely  to 


10  INTRODUCTORY. 

address  myself  to  the  grosser  instincts  of  an  idle  and  per- 
verted curiosity  which  feeds  and  fattens  upon  sensational 
tales  of  tragedy  and  over-drawn  fiction.  I  would,  if  possi- 
ble, come  with  the  keen  steel  of  reason,  and  with  it  probe 
to  the  bottom  of  the  mass  of  corruption  which  like  a 
festering  sore  is  eating  to  the  very  hearts-core  of  society. 
I  would  penetrate  the  wide-spread  moral  miasma  which 
rests  upon  us  like  a  very  pestilence,  find  its  cause  and  apply 
the  remedy.  But  it  would  be  preposterous  egotism  in  me 
to  fancy  that  I  could  with  my  humble  efforts  accomplish  so 
gigantic  a  work.  It  would  require  the  concentrated  efforts 
of  all  good  men  and  women  and.  all  the  hosts  of  Heaven  to 
wipe  out  all  the  evils  which  have  come  as  results  of  corrupt 
and  perverted  social  relations. 

In  giving  the  biographical  portion  of  this  work  I  have 
aimed  at  correctness  and  have  labored  to  obtain  a  true 
history,  representing  the  characters  as  they  were  and  only 
incorporating  such  facts  as  I  could  gather,  which  seemed 
to  have  influenced  the  lives  of  the  individuals  whose  his- 
tory I  have  attempted  to  outline;  and  have  endeavored  at 
the  same  time,  to  avoid  the  error  of  coloring  any  part  of  it 
with  my  own  conception  of  right  or  wrong,  false  or  true, 
hoping  the  facts  in  themselves  may  incite  thought  and 
subserve  a  moral  purpose. 

Indeed,  the  case  can  be  regarded  as  nothing  less  than  a 
tragical  and  psychological  wonder. 

Very  few  dramatic  or  tragic  compositions  have  equaled 
the  real  life  scenes  and  incidents  in  the  career  of  Theressa 
Sturla  and  Charles  Stiles.  While  poetry  and  imagery 
clothe  the  story  of  Macbeth,  the  Countess  of  Blessington, 
King  Lear  and  the  Cenci  with  a  charm  which  softens  the 
keen  edge  of  horror  which  they  incite,  we  have  here  in  our 
very  midst  an  actualization  of  suffering  as  keen,  of  passion  as 
fierce,  of  love  as  blind,  revenge  as  deep  and  crime  as  dread- 


INTRODUCTORY.  11 

ful  as  that  pictured  by  Shakespeare  or  Shelley,  and  are  not 
left  to  speculate  upon  the  possibility  that  human  nature 
could  be  goaded  to  such  extremes.  And  what  is  more,  it  is 
a  matter  that  conus  ho  KO  to  us  as  a  nation,  inasmuch  as 
the  parties,  or  at  least  one  of  them,  was  born  and  reared 
under  the  tuition  of  our  own  social,  religious,  political  and 
educational  institutions,  had  fellowship  with  our  kin- 
dred and  through  his  veins  was  transmitted  the  blood  of 
one  of  our  respected  and  prominent  citizens.  Fact  must 
in  this  instance  throw  down  the  gauntlet  to  fiction  and 
theory  content  herself  to  deal  with  stubborn  realities. 

The  highest  purpose  of  fiction  is  to  teach  the  human 
heart  through  its  sympathies  and  antipathies,  a  knowledge 
of  itself,  and  as  every  human  being  is  wise,  just,  sincere, 
tolerant  and  kind  in  proportion  as  it  possesses  a  knowledge 
of  itself,  it  would  seem  that  the  history  of  a  real  exper- 
ience would  make  this  purpose  doubly  effectual,  and  that 
this  history  can  not  fail  to  be  as  a  light  which  shall  make 
apparent  the  dark  and  secret  recesses  of  unhallowed 
passion: 

I  fully  realize  the  extreme  delicacy  of  my  subject  and  the 
unyielding  prejudices  which  exist  for  and  against  the  two 
individuals  whose  history  is  inseparable,  the  one  from  the 
other,  and  whose  lives  were  under  a  perpetual  contamina- 
tion of  body  and  mind.  But,  notwithstanding  the  violent 
extremes  and  deserved  censure  of  the  sins  of  both,  \vhilo 
I  would  condemn  the  sin,  I  would  be  just  toward  the  in- 
dividuals, and  so  far  as  in  me  lies,  consider  all  mitigating 
circumstances,  and  trace  effects  to  their  causes.  And  in 
view  of  the  whole  matter  I  can  but  exclaim  with  the  im- 
mortal Mrs.  Browning: 

"  Because  I  have  power  to  see  and  hate 
The  foul  tiling  done  within  the  social  gate, 

To  curve- choose  men; 
For  I,  a  woman,  luivu  only  known 
How  the  heart  melts  and  the  tears  run  down." 


PART  I. 

CHAPTEE  I.       * 

BIRTH  AND   EAELY  CHILDHOOD  OF   THERESSA 
CARLOTTA  STURALATTA. 

Theressa  Carlotta  Sturalatta  was  born  in  Italy,  near 
Genoa,  in  the  year  1862,  and  naturally  inherited  the  pas- 
sions and  peculiarities  of  the  Itilian  people. 

For  hundreds  of  years  cathedrals,  monasteries  and  nun- 
cries  have  swallowed  up  the  wealth  of  Italy,  and  have  been 
the  fruitful  parents  of  priests,  nuns,  monks  and  friars,  and 
her  capitol  is  the  home  of  the  Pope. 

The  Roman  Empire,  of  which  Italy  is  an  important  factor, 
is  the  seat  of  oriental  philosophy  and  the  birth  place  of  the 
greatest  philosophers,  the  greatest  libertines  and  the  great- 
est tyrants  the  world  has  ever  known — the  Ciceroes,  De- 
mosthenes, Pythagoi-as,  Aristotle,  Plato,  Andromcus,  Nero 
and  others  too  numerous  to  name. 

It  seems  that  every  extreme  which  human  passion  if 
capable  of  reaching,  is  found  in  Italy,  and  that  nature  not 
only  fosters  the  growth  of  these  extremes,  but  pays  a  royalty 
on  them  by  bestowing  her  choicest  gifts. 

Italy  is  the  fabled  land  of  the  gods,  of  nymphs  and  fairies, 
of  charms  and  incantations,  of  imaginations,  of  music  and 
art.  "  Her  soil  is  a  perpetual  blessing  and  her  sky  an 
eternal  smile."  She  is  the  land  of  fiery,  restless  souls, 
whose  passions  run  rank  and  rampant  like  the  vines,  fruits 
and  flowers  that  palpitate  on  her  warm,  sunny  hill-sides 


^4  STTJRLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

and  fill  her  valleys  and  bowers  with  perpetual  verdure, 
blossom  and  odor. 

"Beautiful  Italy!  golden  amber, 

Warm  with  the  kiss  of  lover  and  traitor." 

This  was  the  birth  place  of  the  girl,  who,  at  the  age  of 
23  with  her  own  hand,  murders  the  man  she  loves.  Her 
childhood  days  were  spent  in  roaming,  unrestrainedly,  over 
vine-clad  hills  and  flower-gemmed  valleys  and  in  mingling 
her  song  with  that  of  the  birds  of  her  native  clime,  and  she 
knew  but  little  of  the  world  aside  from  these.  No  one 
would  have  believed  that  thoughts  of  murder  could  ever 
be  kindled  in  her  heart. 

The  parents  of  Theressa  were  Italian  Catholics  of  the 
Patrician  class, — a  religion  which  makes  God  a  tyrant,  man 
a  criminal,  and  the  Pope  and  priests  God's  authorized 
agents,  whose  mission  is  to  hold  over  the  people  the  terror 
of  eternal  wrath,  and  to  usurp  all  freedom  of  thought,  and 
incarcerate  the  human  mind  in  the  dungeon  of  fear  and 
superstition.  And,  as  a  natural  accompaniment  of  this, 
the  social  standard  in  Italy  makes  women  the  inferior  and 
slave  of  man;  virtue  and  purity  having  no  foundation  in 
principle,  being  only  a  condition  which  the  superior  power 
of  man  enforces  upon  woman  that  he  may  better  gratify 
his  own  selfish  and  lustful  passions.  Man  makes  the  stand- 
ard for  woman  and  for  himself.  Hence  he  has  a  broad 
license,  and  is  not  noted  for  his  purity,  while  if  she  step 
aside  from  the  path  of  rectitude  and  purity  prescribed  by 
him,  she  is  cast  out,  ostracised  by  society  and  kindred. 

These  religious  and  social  ideas  and  customs  were  inter- 
woven with  the  entire  fabric  of  Theressa's  early  childhood, 
and  colored,  to  a  great  extent,  her  entire  life. 

Her  education  was  limited.  The  routine  of  school  was 
distasteful  to  her,  and  being  allowed  to  follow  her  own 
inclination,  her  time  was  spent  mostly  with  her  birds  and 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  15 

flowers  and  iu  the  practice  of  music,  which  was  the  ruling 
passion  of  her  life,  and  she  only  acquired  a  desultory 
knowledge  of  the  r'udimental  branches. 

To  escape  the  political  troubles  in  Italy,  the  father  of 
Theressa  took  his  family  and  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  of  America  in  the  year  1867,  and  settled  in  Balti- 
more, Md.  Theressa  was  at  this  time  an  uncultured  child 
of  one  of  the  most  passionate  races  on  the  globe. 

Her  voice,  whose  richness  and  capacity  was  beyond  that 
of  the  canary  bird  or  nightingale;  her  large,  dark  eyes 
flashing  beneath  the  dark  silken  lashes  and  heavy  arching 
brows;  her  abundant  waving  hair,  whose  gloss  and  beauty 
outrivalled  that  of  the  oft-quoted  raven's  wing;  her  lithe 
and  graceful  form,  and  ardent,  impulsive  ways  were  her 
attractions. 

The  guitar  and  harp  were  her  favorite  instruments,  but 
she  had  practiced  them  merely  for  pastime,  and  her  voice 
had  not  been  trained.  But  after  coming  to  this  country 
she  began  learning  the  piano,  and  soon  became  a  fine 
player,  as  well  as  a  most  enchanting  contralto  singer.  She, 
also,  soon  acquired  sufficient  knowledge  of  our  language  to 
speak  broken  English.  The  father  of  Theressa  had  some 
property,  and  aside  from  taking  care  of  this  he  devoted  his 
time  to  his  favorite  marine  pursuits.  Her  mother  was  a 
good  woman,  but  like  other  women  of  her  race,  her  mis- 
sion was  one  of  labor  and  quiet  submission.  Besides 
Theressa,  there  were  two  sons,  both  pilots  or  sea-faring 
men. 

There  was  a  young  Italian  whose  name  was  Gregaio 
(i;ilvenio,  who  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Baltimore- 
He  was  a  playmate  of  Theressa  in  her  childhood  and  soon 
found  her  in  her  new  home.  He  being  like  her,  a  pas- 
sionate lover  of  music,  a  fine  singer  and  a  proficient  at  the 
harp  and  guitar,  they  were  strongly  attached  to  each  other 


STUKIA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 


and  spent  much  of  their  time  together  in  their  musical 
pursuits.     The  attachment  of  childhood  grew  with  their 
years  and  soon  resulted  in  a  fervent  passion,     Theressa 
loved  Galvenio  with  the  abandon  of  a  passionate  and  child- 
like credulity;  Galvenio  was  drawn  to  her  with  a  reckless, 
selfish  and  fiery  passion.     He  led  her  parents  to  believe 
(hat  he  would  marry  her,  and  instead  of  having  the  watchful 
care  of  a  discreet  and  loving  mother  and  a  wise  father,  the 
child  Theressa  unschooled  in  a  knowledge  of  her  own  nature 
and  the  insidious  leadings  of  passion,  was  left  to  the  society 
of  Galvenio  and  a  subject  to  his  Will  and  caprices.     On 
Christmas  day,  1876,  a  night  which  followed  a  round  of 
Bacchanalian  revelries,  he  accomplished  her  ruin.    Theressa 
was  at  this  time  only  fourteen  and  one-half  years  of  age  — 
a  mere  child  in  years  and  experience,  but  as  is  usual  with 
the  Italian  female  was  precocious  in  physical  development. 
Her  lover,  fearing  the  wrath  of  Theressa's  father  should 
lie  ascertain  the  relations  existing  between  them,  and  not 
having  sufficient  opportunities  at  her  home  for  the  indul- 
gence of  his  base   passions,  persuaded  her  to  leave  the 
parental  roof    and  take  apartments  at  the  house  of  one 
Madame  Fay,  for  the  ostensible  purpose  of  having  instruc- 
tions in  music.     A  portion  of  this  house  was  used  for  assig- 
nation purposes  and  a  suite  of  furnished  rooms  were  given 
Theressa  and  an  instructor  hired  to  teach  her  in  music. 
Her  rare  voice  and  musical  talent,  as  well  as  her  ardent, 
childish  ways  soon  made  her  a  favorite  with  those  who'fre- 
qnented  the  place.     But  she  devoted  herself  to  Galvenio, 
her  music,  birds  and  flowers  with  which  he  had  surrounded 
her.    In  the  meantime  her  father  hunted  her  out,  and  learn- 
ing her  relations  with  Gregaio  Galvenio,  came  down  upon 
his  erring,  defenseless  child  with  all  the  unmerciful  and 
fiery  wrath  of  an  enraged  Italian—  drove  her  out  of  his 
heart,  blotted  her  from  his  memory,  bade  her  never  again 


8TUBLA-ST1LES  TRAGEDY.  17 

to  enter  the  door  of  her  home  or  dare  to  approach  father 
or  mother.  Her  brothers  were  not  less  cruel  than  the 
father;  they  even  threatened  to  take  the  life  of  their  sister 
should  she  ever  dare  return  to  the  precincts  of  home. 
Thus  at  the  tender  age  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  the  girl 
was  ostracised — blotted  out  of  the  hearts  and  memory  of 
her  parents  and  brothers  in  a  strange  land,  left  to  take 
her  own  way  through  the  snares  and  temptations  which  be- 
set the  pathway  even  of  those  who  have  the  constant  pro- 
tection of  parents  and  home. 

Let  her  sin  be  what  it  would,  in  consideration  of  the  ten- 
derness and  inexperience  of  her  years,  the  indiscretion  and 
final  cruelty  of  her  parents,  can  there  be  a  mother  in  all 
the  land  whose  heart  would  not  reach  out  toward  her  in 
commiseration  and  a  desire  to  rescue  rather  than  condemn 
her? 

Galvenio's  passion  for  Theressa  was  not  the  kind  that 
endures.  It  was  the  kind  that  feeds  upon  sensuality  and 
soon  burns  itself  out.  In  a  few  weeks  or  months  his  ardor 
began  to  cool,  and  Theressa  (or  Italian  Effie,  as  she  was 
now  called,)  was  neglected  and  left  to  herself. 


CHAPTEE  II. 
BIRTH  AND  EAELY  HISTORY  OF  CHAS.  STILES. 

Charles  Stiles  was  born  in  Dixon,  111.,  in  the  year  1850. 
He  was  the  son  of  Gen.  E.  B.  Stiles,  who  was  a  prominent 
citizen,  banker  and  politician,  and  who  once  ran  against 
Hon    E    B.  Washburn  for  Congress,  and  who  was  als« 
respected  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.     Th, 
lowing  extract  from  the  discourse  of  Rev.  W.  E.  Meloy, 
pastor  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  also  of 
Williamson,  will  show  to  the  reader  the  view  which  that 
faction  of  society  took   of  the  case  under  consideration; 
also  the  early  religious  experiences  of  Charles, 
course  of  the  reverend  gentleman  treated  of  the  growing 
wickedness  of    Chicago.      Referring    to    the    murder 
Charles  Stiles,  he  said: 

'     "Immediately  after  the  murder  a  deep  interest  centers 
on  the  vile  person  who  has  done  the  wrong.     She  is  pomte 
out  to  us  as  a  very  interesting  person,  pleasing  m  address 
who  has  lavished  her  money  and  affection  on  the  partner  of 
her  misfortune.     True,  she  has  taken  his  -life,  but  it  may 
have  been  an  accident,  and  then  by  her  own  statement  t 
had  been  deeply  wronged.     He  was  such  a  dissolute,  cruel 
man,  who  spent  his  own  money  and  hers  at  the  virtuous 
race  course  and  innocent  gambling  table.     An  attorney-at- 
law,  a  sworn  officer  of  justice,  understanding  how  to  work 
on  the  popular  sympathy,  is  summoned  to  her  side.     1 
cruel  cell  is  too  rough  a  place  for  so  fair  a  prisoner 
exotics,  sweet  flowers,  to  cheer  her,  and  although  she  may 
be  indicted  for  murder,  let  bonds  be  secured  for  her 


STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  19 

lease,  since  there  is  no  probability  of  her  conviction.  Let 
no  eulogy  be  offered  in  behalf  of  the  dead ;  no  tears  but 
those  of  kindred  be  shed  over  his  bier;  no  flowers  be  strewn 
on  his  dishonored  grave.  He  sowed  the  wind,  and  reaped 
the  whirlwind.  He  was,  with  all  the  splendid  powers  of  his 
nature,  the  companion  of  fools,  and  is  destroyed.  But 
there  are  pleas  to  offer  in  behalf  of  society,  and  order,  and 
decency.  The  law,  even  though  disobeyed,  has  still  a 
majesty  to  be  maintained.  Life,  though  it  be  wasted  in 
riot,  is  stamped  with  the  image  of  God,  and  although  that 
image  be  defaced,  yet  the  old  law  still  stands,  'Whoso 
sheddeth  man's  blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed.'  It 
is  not  a  bloody  fiend,  with  lowering  brow  and  brawny  arm, 
that  comes  to  do  his  work,  but  a  cool,  calculating  woman, 
who  has  bartered  away  the  chastity  of  her  womanhood, 
and  whose  testimony  as  to  the  cruelty  of  her  victim  is  to  be 
believed.  She  does  not  hasten  in  the  night  on  her  errand, 
but  comes  in  the  pure  light  of  the  morning,  rouses  her 
victim  from  his  slumber,  and  in  an  hour  he.  stands  before 
his  Judge,  while  the  adulteress  and  murderer  repeats  the 
story  of  wrong  and  self-defense  in  credulous  ears,  and  im- 
mediately the  public  are  informed  that  conviction  is  not 
probable.  We  are  becoming  familiarized  with  stories  of 
blood;  it  is  the  constant  cry  of  the  newsboy  on  the  street. 
No  man  feels  his  life  secure,  or  knows  at  what  hour  he  may 
be  summoned  to  his  home  by  the  record  of  a  tragedy." 

The  speaker  also  referred  to  the  growing  evils  of  intemper- 
ance and  gambling.  Concerning  the  latter,  it  was  enough 
to  bring  the  blush  of  shame  to  the  cheek  of  every  upright 
citizen  to  see  the  Mayor  of  Chicago  associated  with  and 
personally  connected  with  the  worst  gamblers  in  the  city. 
The  remedy  was  with  the  church  in  properly  educating  tha 
future  generations,  and  in  voting  for  only  good  and  pure 
men  for  office. 


20  STURLA-ST1LES   TRAGEDY. 

EARLY   RELIGIOUS  LIFE   OF   CHARLEY   STILES. 

Rev.  Dr.  Williamson  yesterday  morning  preached  his 
annual  missionary  sermon,  in  which  he  appealed  for  liberal 
aid  in  forwarding  the  work  in  foreign  lands.  Preceding  the 
sermon  proper  he  spoke  of  Charles  Stiles  and  his  early 
Christian  life.  He  said:  "A  few  days  since  the  people  were 
shocked  by  the  announcement  of  the  sudden  death  of 
Charles  Stiles.  The  circumstances  of  the  shooting  were 
familiar  to  all.  There  was  apersonal  and  pastoral  acquaint- 
ance and  familiarity  with  the  young  man.  Eleven  years 
since  he  was  ordained  a  minister,  and  was  appointed  to  the 
pastorate  at  Dixou.  There  he  met  the  father  and  mother 
of  Charles  Stiles,  and  saw  and  knew  him  also  well.  In  the 
winter  of  1872-3,  during  a  great  revival,  Charles  and  his 
mother  came  to  church  and  sought  religion.  They  knelt 
at  the  altar  and  were  converted.  Mrs.  Stiles  was  a  woman 
of  culture,  and  had  a  high  education.  Mrs.  Stiles  had 
since  then  been  a  consistent  Christian.  Charles  was  ad- 
mitted to  probation  for  six  months,  according  to  the  church 
rules.  He  remained  in  probation  for  two  months.  He  had 
a  fine  team  and  a  good  sleigh,  and  with  his  pastor  visited 
the  neighboring  towns,  and  was  very  enthusiastic  in  revival 
work,  doing  immense  good  in  his  way.  At  the  end  of  the 
two  months  he  came  to  Chicago,  and  before  going  was 
warned  by  the  pastor  of  the  dangers  to  himself.  His  feel- 
ings and  his  education  were  such  that  he  acquired  with 
facility  certain  kinds  of  knowledge.  In  Chicago  he  met  a 
certain  class  of  associates  who  took  him  from  church,  and 
he  lost  his  love  of  Christ  and  never  came  back,  though  his 
pastor,  on  coming  here,  often  tried  to  induce  him  to  do  so. 
When  he  was  shot,  it  was  to  be  hoped  most  deeply  that  as 
he  lay  there  flying,  with  that  evil  woman  near  him,  he  be- 
came sincerely  penitent,  and  his  mind  was  filled  with  the 
recollection  of  his  Christian  life,  and  it  was  sweet  to  think 


8TDRLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  21 

that  ere  he  died,  he  embraced  Christ  and  died  in  Christ's 
love  and  forgiveness." 

No  comments  are  necessary  upon  the  logic  of  these 
divines.  The  reader's  intelligence  must  be  the  standard  by 
which  it  is  estimated. 

Hon.  E.  B.  Stiles  died  but  a  few  weeks  previous  to  the 
murder  of  his  son  Charles.  He,  as  well  as  the  mother 
were  active  members  of  the  church.  Mrs.  Stiles  was  a 
woman  of  irreproachable  character,  of  more  than  ordinary 
culture  and  education,  but  inclined  toward  intolerance  and 
severity  toward  erring  mortals.  But  she  was  extremely 
fond  of  her  son,  and  like  other  mothers  was  inclined  to 
throw  the  mantle  of  charity  over  his  faults,  and  to  hope 
against  hope  for  some  miraculous  intervention  of  Provi- 
dence to  regenerate  and  cleanse  him  from  sin.  She  un- 
doubtedly made  her  best  efforts  in  his  behalf  and  suffered 
all  the  bitterness  of  disappointment  at  his  wayward  career, 
and  as  a  woman  and  mother  we  would  gladly  bring  balm 
for  her  wounded  and  stricken  heart,  and  with  the  hand  of 
sympathy  strew  flowers  upon  the  grave  of  the  father  whose 
ashes  are  mingling  with  those  of  their  murdered  bo}r. 
Whatever  was  the  cause  of  his  sins,  none  could  suffer  more 
than  the  widowed  mother  who  beholds  her  son — the  idol  of 
her  heart — a  mangled  corpse — murdered  by  the  hand  of  a 
woman,  whom  he  had  folded  to  his  heart  and  in  whose  ears 
he  had  whispered  love's  fondest  and  sweetest  words,  and 
who  to  say  the  least  he  had  wronged  and  abused.  "What- 
ever reproof  there  is  in  this  terrible  lesson — whatever 
punishment  follows  as  a  legitimate  and  unavoidable  result 
let  fallible  men  and  women  judge  mercifully,  and  especially 
toward  the  mother  of  the  wayward  man,  let  the  hand  of 
sympathy  be  extended. 

"If  every  child  might  live  the  life  predestined  in  the 
mother's  heart,  all  the  way  from  the  cradle  to  the  coffin. 


22  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

they  would  walk  on  beams  of  light  and  shine  in  glory. 
Alas !  some  are  born  like  the  dandelion — glowing  bright  in 
the  beginning  but  soon  changing  to  a  fancy  globe  and  by 
the  first  wind  dashed  out  and  gone.  Paint  the  man  as  the 
mother's  thoughts  do;  then  paint  him  as  he  really  lived ! 
Hang  the  two  pictures  side  by  side  and  write.  What  he  was 
to  be!  and  then,  What  he  was!  Life  has  no  sadder  con- 
trasts." It  has  been  said  that  Charles  was  an  unusually 
affectionate  son,  and,  that,  notwithstanding  his  profligacy 
he  was  always  kind  and  tender  to  his  mother,  and  that  he 
gave  substantial  evidence  of  his  regard  for  her  by  purchas- 
ing a  home  for  her  and  otherwise  ministering  to  her  tem- 
poral comfort.  This  fact  shows  that  with  all  his  wicked- 
ness he  had  some  lovable  traits  of  character.  There  was 
no  fault  in  his  early  education  so  far  as  books  and  schools 
serve  the  purpose  of  educating.  He  was  sent  to  school  at 
an  early  age,  was  precocious  as  a  scholar,  and  soon  became 
master  of  the  rudimental  branches.  His  earlier  career  can 
not  be  more  truthfully  given  than  by  quoting  a  journalist 
of  the  "  Chicago  Times:" 

"REAPING  THE  WHIRL-WIND." 

He  says,  "  In  the  thirty-two  years  he  passed  on  earth, 
Charlie  Stiles  lived  a  hundred  years,  measured  by  gas  light 
experience.  He  was  the  typical  'man  about  town'  and 
probably  the  best  representative  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  of 
that  adventurous  untamable  class  of  men  who  feed  on  ex- 
citement, and  to  whom  existence  would  be,  unbearable  if 
they  could  not  go  on  the  keen  gallop  at  all  times.  Nothing 
is  too  rapid  for  them,  and  when  they  go  to  bed  it  is  with 
the  assurance  that  they  have  missed  nothing  in  the  whole 
world  they  could  reach — escaped  no  experience  they  could 
compass. 

"  When  only  14  years  old  Charles  fell  in  with  a  company 


STURLA— STILES  TRAGEDY.  23 

of  fast  young  men  who  were  going  to  Europe.  He  was  at 
once  possessed  with  a  violent  desire  to  go  too,  and  begged 
his  father  to  let  him  make  the  trip.  Thinking  the  best  way 
to  cure  the  lad  of  his  ambition  for  foreign  travel  would  be 
to  consent,  Gen.  Stiles  said  yes,  not  dreaming  that  his  son 
really  intended  starting.  He  was  mistaken,  for  Charlie, 
even  at  that  early  age,  was  feverishly  bent  on  seeing  the 
world.  He  spent  nearly  two  years  abroad  and  he  did  see  a 
great  deal  of  the  fast  side  of  life  in  that  time,  visiting  all 
the  capitals  of  Europe  and  travelling  at  an  exceedingly 
rapid  gait.  This  was  about  the  close  of  the  war  and 
though  his  father  had  failed  in  the  banking  business,  he 
became  a  successful  army  contractor,  and  kept  his  '  young 
hopeful'  plentifully  supplied  with  money.  Charles  also 
spent  several  years  at  the  universities  of  Dresden,  Heidel- 
.burg  and  Geneva,  Europe,  and  became  familiar  with  the 
German  and  French  languages,  and  acquired  some  knowl- 
edge of  Italian. 

"  A  Chicago  man  who  was  in  Munich  at  the  time  young 
Stiles  was  'in  Europe,  tells  of  a  visit  paid  at  a  beer  garden. 
The  first  object  that  attracted  his  attention  on  entering  the 
place,  was  an  American  boy  of  tender  years,  elevated  on  a 
beer  barrel  haranguing  a  lot  of  German  students,  talking 
in  the  most  impassioned  way  and  with  the  greatest  volu- 
bility in  the  language  of  the  country.  This  juvenile  orator 
was  Charles  Stiles,  who  took  this  way  to  'spout'  patriotism 
at  his  German  friends.  On  his  return  from  Europe  young 
Stiles  found  himself  quite  a  hero  and  was  taken  into 
society.  He  spent  several  months  with  the  Ogdens,  and 
flourished  like  a  green  bay  tree,  as  a  society  young  man. 
He  soon  drifted  into  a  different  path  of  life,  however,  and 
found  gratification  for  his  craving  for  excitement  by  specu- 
lating on  the  board  of  trade.  Being  gifted  with  a  ready 
tongue,  a  bright  intellect  and  a  genial  disposition,  he  soon 


24:  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

became  popular  among  men  of  his  kind  and  no  party  was 
complete  without  him.  He  speculated  heavily  and  made 
and  lost  large  sums  of  money,  both  individually  and  with 
his  father,  and  for  fifteen  years  before  his  death,  was 
recognized  as  one  of  the  quickest  winners  and  losers  who 
ever  played  at  the  hazardous  game  of  speculation. 

"  By  the  time  he  was  23  years  old,  Charlie  was  a  confirmed 
gamester  and  as  fast  a  man  as  there  was  in  town.  He  had 
a  perfect  mania  for  gambling,  in  every  conceivable  form, 
and  to  him  one  way  of  risking  money  was  as  legitimate  as 
another.  He  could  not  see  the  difference  between  betting 
$10,000  on  the  turn  of  a  market,  or  $100  on  the  turn  of  a 
card,  or  $1,000  on  the  result  of  a  horse  race.  His  most 
distinctive  trait  of  character  was  a  hatred  of  shams.  Pro- 
claiming himself  a  social  outcast  and  a  man  without  prin- 
ciple, he  was  loth  to  give  anybody  credit  for  purity  of 
conduct  or  disinterestedness.  To  him  the  world  was  a 
cesspool  of  hypocrisy  and  deceit,  and  it  gave  him  delight 
to  bathe  in  the  pool  of  wickedness  in  the  open  glare  of 
sunlight;  and  there  was  nothing  he  would  not  do  to  show 
his  contempt  for  the  usages  of  society.  For  several  years 
after  his  return  from  Europe  he  dabbled  about  the  board 
of  trade  with  varying  success,  sometimes  having  plenty  of 
money,  and  again  being  reduced  to  desperate  straits.  As 
the  years  wore  away  he  developed  a  love  for  horse-flesh,  and 
at  one  time  owned  several  '  fleet  flyers.'  Seven  years  ago  he 
started  on  the  grand  eastern  circuit  as  '  pool  seller,'  making 
quite  a  name  for  himself  in  that  line  and  developing  an  apti- 
tude for  that  sort  of  thing,  which  subsequently  gave  him 
the  reputation  of  being  the  best  'caller  in  the  United  States.' 
He  was  known  in  the  board  of  trade  circles  as  the  '  lightning 
caller/  and  the  sound  of  his  clear,  ringing  voice  was  heard 
for  years  in  its  spacious  halls,  and  its  echo  will  not  die  out 
of  the  memory  of  its  members  for  many  years  to  come. 


8TURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  25 

"  His  salary  varied  from  $2,500  to  $5,000  as  '  caller,'  be- 
sides what  he  gained  in  other  ways.  But  his  ungovernable 
propensity  for  gambling  and  profligate  habits  absorbed  all 
this  and  much  more,  and  it  is  said  that  he  was  head  over 
heels  in  debt  ten  mouths  out  of  the  twelve.  When  he  was 
in  funds  he  paid  his  debts,  provided  he  happened  to  think 
of  it,  but  generally  speaking  he  was  a  hard  man  to  collect 
money  from.  He  was  careful  to  pay  his  board  and  tailor 
bills,  and  always  had  credit  in  those  directions.  He  had  no 
social  standing  as  a  natural  consequence  of  his  open  indu- 
cencies;  but  as  he  was  witty  and  companionable  he  was 
always  the  centre  of  a  crowd  when  he  chose  to  exert  him- 
self to  be  entertaining.  Among  the  demi  monde  he  WHS 
quite  popular,  and  generally  occupied  the  seat  of  honor  at 
the  head  of  the  table  on  banquet  occasions  in  '  palaces  of 
beautiful  sin  '  around  town.  His  value  as  a  '  caller '  gave 
him  a  standing  on  the  board  of  trade  he  could  not  have 
obtained  in  any  other  way,  but  there  was  little  in  common 
between  him  and  a  great  majority  of  the  members  of  either 
board.  Everybody  knew  him  and  he  knew  everybody,  but 
there  was  no  fellowship,  and  his  death  aroused  very  little 
sympathy  in  Gamblers'  Alley.  The  prevailing  sentiment 
on  '  Change '  may  be  summed  up  in  the  laconic  remark  of  a 
broker,  who  was  moved  to  say:  "It  is  pretty  rough,  I 
must  admit;  but  when  a  man  will  run  with  desperate  people 
he  carries  his  life  in  his  hands  and  must  take  his  chances. 
I  wonder  he  was  not  killed  before." 

He  established  a  reputation  for  illicit  intercourse  with 
more  than  one  '  fallen  angel,'  and  was  said  to  boast  of  his 
liaisons  to  the  woman  who  at  last  took  his  life.  This  fact 
was  well  known  to  his  acquaintances.  One  of  them  once 
asked  him  how  he  could  endure  such  a  vixen  as  his  acknowl- 
edged mistress.  'I  like  her,'  he  replied,  'because  she  is  so 
devilish  ugly.  I  like  to  see  her  rave;  and  I  half  believe 


26  STURLA-STILES    TRAGEDY. 

she  will  kill  me  sometime.'  The  notorious  May  Willard  was 
one  of  his  favorites,  and  he  delighted  in  taunting  her  with 
rehearsals  of  his  revels  with  other  'sisters  of  sin.'  A  little 
anecdote  is  told  of  him,  which  illustrates  his  tendencies  in 
this  direction:  "While  carrying  on  his  liaison  with  May 
Willard,  he  invited  he.r  to  ride  out  one  afternoon  and  see 
how  he  looked  riding  with  his  'good  girl;'  which  'good 
girl '  was  a  cousin  and  highly  respected  lady,  who  has  since 
died.  Taking  him  at  his  word,  she  drove  out,  and  as  the 
sleighs  met  on  Michigan  Ave.,  the  '  Dago,'  as  the  Willard 
strumpet  was  called,  threw  a  bag  of  flour  at  Stiles,  covering 
him  from  head  to  foot  with  a  coating  of  white." 

Charles  Stiles  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Owl 
Club,  and  was  an  officer  of  that  organization  for  two  or 
three  terms.  He  joined  at  the  same  time  that  Al.  Bruce 
did,  who  was  notorious  for  his  efforts  to  seduce  young 
girls,  and  who  was  kicked  out  of  the  Palmer  House  for  it. 
Stiles  was  also  a  member  of  the  Elk  Club.  Up  to  the  time 
of  his  assassination  he  «was  an  esteemed  member  of  both 
these  organizations. 

After  his  death,  the  Owl  Club  sent  a  magnificent  floral 
cross  and  crown,  and  the  call  board  a  pillow  of  flowers, 
bearing  the  legend  'AT  BEST,'  for  the  head  of  the  murdered 
man  to  be  laid  upon  in  its  last  repose. 

The  members  of  the  Owl  and  Elk  Clubs  both  passed 
appropriate  resolutions  on  his  death,  which  were  accom- 
panied with  touching  words  of  condolence  and  forwarded 
to  his  family  in  Dixon. 


CHAPTER  III. 
THE  OWL  CLUB. 

Only  a  brief  notice  of  the  organization  denominated  Owl 
Club  is  here  necessary,  inasmuch  as  the  counsel  for  the 
defense  has  amply  set  forth  its  distinctive  features,  in  the 
following  pages.  As  predicted  by  him  in  the  course  of  the 
trial,  the  Owl  Club  has  ceased  to  exist. 

The  probable  reason  for  the  name  Owl  Club  was  that  the 
meetings  were  mostly  held  out  of  business  hours  and  in  the 
evenings. 

The  original  purpose  being  to  organize  a  fraternity  and 
furnish  apartments  which  would  afford  a  pleasant  and  con- 
venient retreat  for  festivity  and  sociality,  where  single  gen- 
tlemen and  others  whose  business  called  them  to  the  city 
and  away  from  home,  could  find  a  pleasant  substitute  for  the 
parlor  or  drawing-room  of  their  own  house,  and  the  organ- 
ization was  celebrated  for  their  elegant  and  pleasant  apart- 
ments and  for  the  culture  and  hospitality  of  its  members. 

It  was  organized  about  five  years  ago  by  good  substantial 
men.  Indeed,  among  its  members  were  persons  who 
ranked  high  for  their  literary  attainments  and  moral  excel- 
lence and  worth,  but  who  were  of  a  social  and  convivial 
turn  of  mind.  At  that  time  Charles  Stiles  figured  con- 
spicuously as  a  member. 

The  rooms  occupied  by  the  club  were  in  McVicker's 
theatre  building  and  comprised  a  large  portion  of  the  same. 
Indeed,  the  building  was  about  equally  divided  between  the 
theatre  proper  and  the  rooms  of  the  Owl  Club. 


28  STURLA- STILES   TKAGEDY. 

At  the  time  of  its  existence  we  find  on  entering  the  first 
floor  of  the  Club  rooms  an  elegaut  reception  room.  The 
moment  we  cross  its  threshhold  our  feet  sink  ankle  deep 
in  the  rich  Turkish  carpet  which  covers  its  floor.  Its  fur- 
niture is  upholstered  with  the  richest  of  crimson  velvet, 
and  its  mirrored  walls  repeat  and  magnify  its  elegance, 
and,  if  our  vanity  is  not  gratified  by  beholding  in  every 
direction  a  full  reflection  of  ourself,  we  can  only  find  relief 
by  turning  our  eyes  toward  the  ceiling  from  which  hangs 
a  chandalier  embellished  by  crystal  of  the  most  magnificent 
description,  and  of  such  quality  and  so  arranged  that  its 
fine  prismatic  effect  is  never  lost  to  the  beholder.  The 
nest  room  is  set  apart  for  social  entertainment  of  a  collo- 
quial character.  The  carpet  of  this  room  is  scarcely  less 
rich  or  its  furniture  less  elegant,  though  of  a  more  sober 
hue.  Upon  the  walls  of  this  room  are  hung  magnificent 
original  paintings  of  the  old  masters;  resting  conspicuously 
in  the  fore-ground,  upon  an  easel,  is  a  portrait  of  George 
Washington.  In  the  rear  is  a  store-room  for  cigars,  wine 
closets,  etc.  Up  stairs  are  billiard,  pool,  card  and  poker 
rooms.  In  this  club,  from  time  to  time  during  the  first 
and  second  years  of  its  existence,  the  sons  of  rich  men 
enrolled  their  names  as  members.  They  were  men  who 
conscrted  with  prostitutes,  gambled,  wore  diamonds  and 
drank  champagne.  From  this  time,  the  reputable  element 
diminished  in  numbers,  and  the  hiatus  thus  made  in  the 
club  was  filled  with  men  with  whom  the  organizers  of  the 
club  would  not  associate  in  darkness  and  much  less  in  day- 
light. Thus  about  two  years  ago  a  large  number  of  the 
dissipated  and  abandoned  class  of  men,  without  heads  to 
understand  or  hearts  to  feel  or  appreciate  the  difference 
between  virtue  and  prostitution,  had  become  members  of 
the  club.  This  class  of  men  soon  attracted  another  class 
who  were  further  advanced  than  themselves  in  the  quali- 


STUfcLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  29 

ties,  which  distinguish  the  libertine  and  debauchee. 
These  persons  were,  in  the  main,  sons  of  rich  men,  promi- 
nent lawyers,  and  others  of  national  reputation;  twenty 
were  sons  of  well-known  and  opulent  members  of  the  Board 
of  Trade. 

The  first  president  of  the  club  was  a  man  possessed  of 
great  moral  worth  and  high  qualities  of  head  and  heart, 
and  the  Owl  Club  was  an  organization  in  which  there  was 
a  mutual  exchange  of  thought  between  able-minded  men 
on  the  subject  of  religion,  politics,  commerce  and  science. 
But  it  seems  to  have  degenerated  i'nto  a  place  where  per- 
sons discuss  the  qualities  of  some  prostitute  and  tell  how 
much  wine  they  saw  poured  down  the  back  of  som. 
cyprian,  how  much  was  lost  at  poker  or  won  at  a  horse 
race,  and  who  are  found  in  the  companionship  of  the  scarlet- 
robed  cyprian  of  the  stamp  of  Madame  Gee,  and  others  of 
her  class. 

The  Elk  Club  stands  better  than  the  Owl  Club.  It  is 
composed  of  managers  of  theatres  who  are  usually  honor- 
ary members,  and  actors,  who  are  more  or  less  gay.  There 
are  also  a  few  -orofessional  gamblers  and  a  few  professional 
politicians. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THERESSA  STURLA  AND  CHARLES  STILES— THE 
BEGINNING  OF  THEIR  ACQUAINTANCE. 

We  will  now  drop  the  Italian  name  and  use  the  name, 
Theressa  Sturla  as  it  is  Americanized,  and  after  relating 
the  incidents  connected  with  her  early  acquaintance  with 
Stiles,  leave  the  remainder  to  be  developed  through  the 
trial  in  which  the  details  of  their  life  together,  appears 
more  fully  than  it  would  be  given  in  any  other  way. 

In  1875  or  1876,  Charles  Stiles  quit  the  turf  to  become 
manager  of  the  'Mites,'  and  during  the  Centennial  is  said  to 
have  run  a  faro  bank  in  Philadelphia.  It  was  while  follow- 
ing the  races  from  city  to  city  on  the  round  of  their 
eastern  circuit,  as  'pool  seller,'  betting  on  horses,  etc.,  or 
as  in  horse  parlance  '  gambling  on  the  green '  that  he  went 
to  Baltimore,  and  being  the  guest  of  Madame  Fay,  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Theressa  Sturla. 

He  was  now  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  and  an  adept  in 
all  the  qualifications  of  an  expert  gambler  and  heartless 
rake. 

Hearing  the  voice  of  Theressa  in  her  apartments,  he  was 
charmed  with  its  rare  melody  and  at  once  determined  to 
make  her  acquaintance. 

She  was  at  the  piano  in  the  midst  of  a  piece  of  operatic 
music  which  gave  full  scope  to  her  talent  in  that  direction, 
when  Madame  Fay  entered  with  young  Stiles,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  introducing  him.  The  time  was  opportune. 
Theressa  never  appeared  to  better  advantage.  Charles 
Stiles  was  charmed  not  only  with  her  music  but  with  the 


STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  31 

girl.  He  was  gay,  fascinating  and  brilliant,  and  was 
greeted  by  her  in  the  same  spirit.  Theressa's  knowledge  of 
English  was  at  this  time  about  the  same  as  Stile's  knowl- 
edge of  Italian.  The  broken  English  of  the  one  and  the 
imperfect  Italian  of  the  other  added  to  the  novelty  of  their 
interview,  and,  as  Stiles  remarked,  made  her  singing  per- 
fectly enchanting.  He  was  enamored  with  her  playing  and 
her  singing;  with  her  dark  eyes  that  could  flash  with 
fervor  in  the  rendering  of  an  operatic  piece ;  twinkle  with 
mirth  in  the  comic  ballad  or  melt  with  sweet  sentiment  in 
the  love  song.  These  attractions  combined  with  her  child- 
like abandon  to  whatever  mood  happened  to  possess  her, 
and  her  utter  disregard  or  rather  her  ignorance  of  the  con- 
ventionalities of  society  made  her  a  novelty  to  Stiles.  She 
was  a  creature  of  sentiment  and  emotion.  Every  feeling 
and  shade  of  feeling  came,  unchecked,  to  the  surface.  In 
a  word  she  was  transparent.  And  this  artificial  and  artful 
man  of  the  world  would  not  have  been  more  delighted  and 
surprised  if  a  veritable  nymph  or  fairy  had  made  its  ap- 
pearance harp  in  hand.  With  no  thought  beyond  that  of 
present  selfish  gratification,  he  set  himself  to  work  at  the 
(to  him)  delightful  task  of  winning  her  confidence  and 
affections.  He  availed  himself  of  every  possible  oppor- 
tunity to  be  with  her  and  every  moment  was  filled  with 
enthusiasm.  He  studied  her  tastes,  praised  her  singing 
and  soon  won  her  entire  confidence.  Galvenio  had  at  this 
time  almost  entirely  forsaken  her.  She  missed  his  society 
and  in  her  childish  loneliness  was  glad  to  beguile  the  wrary 
hours  by  singing  and  playing  for  the  amusement  of  the 
brilliant  Chicagoean,  and  his  words  of  praise  were  always 
sufficient  to  recompense  her.  That  Theressa  was  ignorant 
of  his  intentions  and  innocent  of  any  impure  inclinations 
in  the  outset  of  her  attachment  for  Stiles,  we  have  every 
reason  to  believe. 


32  STTTRLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

One  evening  Galvenio  came  to  pay  Theressa  a  visit  at 
her  rooms.  He  found  her  singing  and  playing  at  the 
piano,  Stiles  standing  by  her  side  turning  the  leaves  of  her 
music  and  evidently  enthused  by  her  performance. 
Though  Galvenio  now  cared  but  little  for  the  girl,  himself, 
and  had  treated  her  with  neglect  and  contempt,  he  was 
immediately  fired  with  jealousy  at  seeing  her  receive 
the  attentions  of  any  one  else,  and  as  self-appoint*  d 
master  and  tyrant  exacted  from  her  the  mo^t  abject 
obedience  and  homage.  With  an  exhibition  of  passion 
and  rage  peculiar  to  his  nationality  he  accused  and  quar- 
relled with  her  and  left  her  forever.  Theressa  was  grieved 
and  angry.  Stiles  immediately  took  in  the  situation  and 
seized  it  as  his  opportunity  to  ingratiate  himself  into  her 
favor.  Galvenio  was  disparaged  and  she  extolled.  "With 
assumed  sympathy  and  indignation,  he  told  her  it  was 
shameful  for  one  as  gifted  as  she  to  be  so  treated  by  such  a 
wretch.  If  she  would  come  under  his  protection  he  would 
place  her  where  she  would  shine  as  a  star  on  the  stage  and 
in  the  province  of  lyric  art.  She  had  powers  which  would 
command  the  homage  of  the  world.  These  words  of 
flattery  were  accompanied  by  the  most  extravagant  expres- 
sions of  undying  love,  all  of  which  had  their  desired  effect. 
Music  was  the  ruling  passion  of  Theressa's  life.  She  was 
also  extravagantly  imaginative,  sensitive  and  impressible, 
and  she  yeilded  soul  and  body  to  the  keeping  of  a  man, 
who  from  his  habits  of  dissipation,  selfishness  and  sensu- 
ality, placed  no  value  upon  her  love  except  so  far  as  it  con- 
tributed to  his  lustful  nature.  From  that  hour  the  high 
spirited  Italian  girl  clung  to  him  with  a  devotion,  self- 
sacrifice  and  submission  which  amounted  to  a  dog-like 
servility.  Both'  being  alike  subjects  of  caprice  rather  than 
a  well  founded  and  rational  attachment,  their  life  together 
was  a  scene  of  tempest  and  sunshine.  The  two  extremes 


CHARLES  STILES. 


TRAGEDY.  33 

of  intense  love  and  violent  hatred  alternating,  yet  being 
held  together  by  a  strange  and  inexplicable  fascination. 

Soon  after  the  quarrel  between  Theressa  and  her  Italian 
lover,  young  Stiles  moved  his  trunk  to  her  apartments  and 
remained  during  his  stay  in  Baltimore.  In  the  mean  time 
he  obtained  $200  of  her,  which  she  had  obtained  by  selling 
her  jewelry.  This  he  gambled  and  spent  in  the  races. 

When  the  horses  left  for  Chicago,  Stiles  accompanied 
them,  but  before  leaving  Theressa  he  gave  her  a  glowing 
account  of  Chicago — represented  himself  as  one  of  Chi- 
cago's most  prominent  men,  told  her  he  had  great  influence 
with  the  dramatic  press,  and  that  he  could  by  the  wave  of 
the  hand  raise  her  to  great  prominence  on  the  stage,  and 
as  a  shining  star  in  the  high  circles  in  which  he  was  a  dis- 
tinguished character. 

After  leaving  her  he  wrote  her  from  the  different  cities 
on  his  route.  His  letters  were  full  of  expressions  of  the 
most  ardent  love  and  were  frequently  accompanied  with 
solicitations  for  money.  On  reaching  Chicago  his  determi- 
nation to  bring  Theressa  to  that  city  seemed  to  take  a  still 
firmer  hold  of  him.  He  gave  her  glowing  descriptions  of 
the  attractions  of  the  city,  and,  especially,  of  the  lyrical  and 
theatrical  department,  and  enthused  her  brain  with  high 
expectations  in  that  direction,  and  in  June,  1878,  she  went 
to  Chicago  and  was  taken  to  Eldridge  Court  as  the  wife  of 
Charles  Stiles. 

The  remainder  of  their  career  together  can  be  best  por- 
trayed through  the  trial  of  the  murderess. 

The  details  of  the  tragedy  we  clip  from  the  Chicago  Times 
of  July  11,  1882,  as  follows: 

"  Charles  Stiles,  caller  of  the  call  board,  was  shot  through 

the  heart  and  instantly  killed,  in  his  room  at  the  Palmer 

House,  at  7  o'clock  yesterday  morning,  by  his  mistress, 

Madeline  Stiles.     There  were  no  witnesses  to  the  shooting 

3 


34  8TURLA-STILE8  TRAGEDY.. 

but  several  gentlemen  heard  the  two  people  quarreling; 
heard  them  struggling,  and  saw  them  both  the  instant  that 
the  man  fell  dead  in  the  hall.  Stiles,  his  brother,  and 
another  gentleman  occupied  rooms  No.  660  and  No.  661  in 
the  hotel,  the  former  being  their  sleeping  apartment.  The 
two  rooms  are  at  the  extreme  end  of  a  hall  whose  end  win- 
dow opens  on  the  court  in  the  center  of  the  hotel.  Oppo- 
site room  No.  661  is  No.  662,  which  was  occupied  by  Mr. 
Edward  B.  Strong,  of  the  firm  of  Foss,  Strong  &  Co. 
Opposite  the  door  of  No.  660  is  a  short  hall,  at  the  end  of 
which  is  the  door  of  No.  664,  which  was  occupied  by  Mr. 
Young,  a  clerk  for  Matson  &  Co.  Both  these  gentlemen 
heard  some  one  rap  at  the  door  of  No.  661,  and  the  person 
outside  say,  as  if  in  answer  to  an  inquiry:  "Messenger, 
messenger."  Mr.  Young  had  just  looked  at  his  watch  and 
it  indicated  6:53  o'clock.  They  heard  the  door  open  and 
close,  and  then  there  was  the  sound  of  loud  talking,  but 
the  words  were  indistinguishable.  In  one  or  two  minutes 
afterward  they  heard  the  sound  of  a  pistol  shot,  and  then 
of  another,  followed  by  the  sound  of  an  opening  door  and 
Mr.  Stiles'  voice  crying  "Murder!  Murder!"  Mr.  Young 
was  standing  upon  his  bed3  looking  over  the  transom  and 
down  the  hall,  and  saw  Stiles  fall  in  the  hallway  with  his 
head  opposite  the  door  of  his  bedroom.  The  next  instant 
a  woman  kneeled  beside  him,  took  his  head  in  her  arms, 
and  kissed  him.  The  report  of  the  pistol  shots  had  caused 
several  men  occupying  adjoining  rooms  to  ring  their  bells, 
and  the  boy  whose  business  it  is  to  answer  them  had 
rushed  down  stairs  and  notified  the  office  that  something 
was  wrong.  Willis  Howe,  the  manager  of  the  house,  Frank 
Poobst,  his  assistant,  a  clerk,  and  the  chief  bell-boy  went 
up  to  the  room,  after  turning  in  the  police  alarm.  They 
found  Stiles  lying  on  the  floor  in  the  hall,  with  his  face 
turned  upward,  and  Madeline  sitting  on  the  floor  beside 


8TURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  35 

him,  bending  over  and  looking  in  his  face.  Stiles  wore 
nothing  but  his  night  shirt,  and  the  front  of  it  was  stained 
with  blood,  which  also  soaked  the  carpet  about  him.  On 
the  white  wall  opposite  the  door  out  of  which  Stiles  had 
coine  were  four  long,  curved  streaks  of  blood,  reaching 
from  the  height  of  a  man's  head  to  the  floor.  He  had  evi- 
dently fallen  against  this  wall  as  he  staggered  from  the 
room,  and  with  the  hand  with  which  he  had  tried  to  stop 
the  blood  he  steadied  himself,  and  as  he  was  falling  his 
fingers  swept  down  and  left  their  bloody  trail. 

The  girl  was  completely  dressed  for  the  street — wore  a 
dark  straw  hat  and  a  long  blue  pelisse.  When  the  hotel 
men  approached  her,  one  of  them  said:  "It's  Stiles." 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "  it's  Charlie  Stiles,  and  I've  killed  him." 

Her  voice,  they  said,  was  perfectly  even,  and  there  was 
no  trace  of  excitement  in  her  manner;  but  her  face  was 
colorless  and  looked  as  if  it  might  have  been  of  stone.  She 
bent  over  and  kissed  the  dead  man's  lips,  and  said: 

"  If  he  had  brought  me  home  last  night  this  would  not 
have  happened.  He  took  me  eight  miles  in  the  country 
last  night,  and  left  me  out  there  to  walk  home  alone." 

Someone  brought  out  a  sheet  and  covered  the  dead  man's 
body,  and  she  sat  by  it,  the  least  excited  person  of  the 
score  who  surrounded  it,  until  the  policemen  arrived. 
Then  she  arose  and  stood  leaning  against  the  wall  watching 
them  without  a  sign  of  emotion — even  of  curiosity — in  her 
face,  while  they  arranged  his  body  on  a  stretcher  and  started 
to  carry  it  toward  the  elevator.  To  the  hotel  clerk,  who 
was  locking  up  the  room,  she  pointed  out  the  pistol,  which 
was  lying  on  the  floor,  and  told  him  he  had  better  take 
care  of  it.  It  was  handed  to  Sergt.  Bohan.  It  is  a  five- 
shooter,  Forehand  &  Wadsworth,  self-cocking  revolver,  and 
two  of  its  chambers  were  still  loaded.  Two  shots  had  been 
fired  from  it.  One  bullet,  the  first  fired,  had  entered  Stiles' 


36  STUKLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

heart;  the  other,  fired  at  him  while  he  was  opening  the 
door,  had  gone  over  his  head,  through  the  panel  of  the 
door,  and  penetrated  the  plastering  of  the  wall  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  hall.  Sergt.  Bohan  turned  to  the  girl  after 
he  had  found  that  Stiles  was  dead,  and  said: 

"  You  ought  to  be  taken  out  and  strung  up  for  this." 

She  merely  answered  that  the  law  could  take  its  course. 
He  asked  her  if  she  was  sorry.  Said  she : 

"It's  done  now,  and  its  no  use  to  be  sorry." 

Mr.  Young  says  that  he  heard  her  say:  "I  killed  him; 
I  intended  to  do  it,  and  I'm  glad  of  it;"  but  the  others  do 
not  seem  to  have  heard  this.  When  the  men  went  down 
the  hall,  bearing  the  body  on  the  stretcher,  she  followed 
them,  quietly  pulling  on  her  kid  gloves  as  she  went. 

The  body  was  put  in  the  Central  station  police  patrol- 
wagon  and  taken  to  the  morgue.  Madeline,  accompanied 
by  Sergt.  Bohan,  followed  it  on  foot.  At  the  morgue  the 
keeper  objected  to  her  going  in,  but  she  paid  no  attention 
whatever  to  his  protest,  but  walked  up  to  the  stretcher, 
pushed  the  dead  man's  hair  back  from  his  forehead  with 
her  hand,  and  kissed  his  lips  several  times.  Then  she 
looked  steadily  at  the  face  for  a  moment  without  a  tear  or 
a  quiver  of  the  lip,  turned  away,  and  climbed  into  the 
patrol-wagon,  in  which  she  was  taken  to  the  Harrison 
street  police  station.  The  station-keeper  asked  her-  name 
and  age.  She  answered: 

"  Madeline  Stiles;  21  years." 

Sergt.  Bohan  said  she  had  killed  her  husband,  and  the 
word  "  murder  "  was  added  to  the  station-keeper's  memo- 
randa. He  said  that  the  prisoner  appeared  as  unconcerned 
as  a  man  who  had  been  brought  in  for  violating  a  building 
ordinance.  She  was  locked  up  in  one  of  the  row  of  better 
cells  which  are  kept  for  witnesses  and  murderers.  .During 
their  walk  to  the  morgue  she  told  the  sergeant  that  she 


8TUBLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  37 

and  Stiles  had  driven  to  Downing's  the  previous  evening 
and  they  had  quarreled  on  the  way  out.  When  they 
reached  the  place  they  had  been  drinking,  and  quarreled 
again.  He  had  driven  away  and  left  her  there.  A  little 
boy  had  walked  with  her  through  the  rain  and  mud  to  the 
dummy  train,  and  she  did  not  get  to  her  room,  at  No.  291 
Wabash  avenue,  until  after  midnight.  She  remained  in 
her  room  the  rest  of  the  night.  She  went  to  Charlie's 
room  in  the  morning  to  make  up  with  him.  He  called 
her  a  d — d  b — ,  she  said  and  ordered  her  out.  Then  he 
took  her  by  the  throat,  choked  her,  and  threw  her  dowi:, 
That  was  the  time  she  shot  him.  She  always  carried  a 
revolver,  she  added,  and  had  owned  the  one  with  which 
she  shot  Stiles  for  several  years.  She  showed  the  officer 
the  blue  marks  on  her  neck  where  she  said  Stiles's  fingers 
had  bruised  the  flesh. 

BEHIND    THE   BARS. 

It  was  the  face  of  a  Madonna,  rather  than  that  of  a  mur- 
deress, behind  the  bars.  It  was  a  sad,  Italian  face,  but 
not  without  its  suggestions  of  fierceness  and  sensuality. 
The  oval  features  were  pale;  her  coal  black  hair  rippled 
to  her  waist,  and  there  was  a  wild,  frightened  look  in  the 
dangerous  dark  eyes.  She  was  richly  dressed  in  black 
silk,  with  lace  at  the  throat  and  wrists,  and  she  had  cast 
aside  a  fashionable  pelisse  of  blue.  When  she  had  become 
somewhat  calm  and  collected,  a  reporter  for  The  Times  was 
closeted  with  her  in  the  cell.  Then  she  told  this  story  of  a 
courtesan's  life — a  life  overshadowed  by  sin  and  crowned 
with  a  crime.  It  rivals  in  horror  the  romance  of  a  Zola: 

DOMESTIC   RELATIONS. 

The  Times  reporter  who  called  at  No.  291  Wabash  avenue, 
to  learn  something  regarding  the  victim  and  his  slayer 
during  their  stay  there,  was  kindly  received  by  Mrs.  Harvey, 


38  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

a  rather  comely  matron  past  the  middle  age,  who  was  will- 
ing to  impart  any  intelligence  in  her  possession  respecting 
the  couple.  "You  will  understand,"  said  the  lady,  "my 
peculiar  and  unfortunate  position  in  this  matter  is  some- 
thing for  which  I  am  in  nowise  responsible,  as,  until  '  Mrs. 
Stiles '  asserted  to  the  contrary,  I  firmly  believed  they  were 
husband  and  wife.  About  the  middle  of  April  Mr.  Stiles 
called  at  my  house  and  asked  if  I  had  a  vacant  apartment 
that  I  thought  would  be  suitable  for  himself  and  wife.  I 
replied  that  I  had,  and  showed  him  suite  No.  5,  on  the 
second  floor,  just  adjoining  my  room.  He  was  favorably 
impressed  with  the  rooms,  and  said  he  would  engage  them 
at  the  price  named — $30  per  month.  As  I  always  do,  I 
asked  him  for  references,  and  he  said  that  he  had  been 
married  six  years  and  referred  me  to  several  Evanston 
people  whom  I  knew  well.  His  seeming  honesty  and  frank- 
ness led  me  to  close  the  lease  of  the  rooms  without  further 
inquiry.  Mr.  Stiles  and  the  woman  I  supposed  to  be  his 
wife  came  with  their  baggage  and  some  small  articles  of 
furniture,  and  took  possession  of  the  rooms.  They  lived 
in  good  style  and  were,  to  all  outward  appearance,  as  happy 
a  pair  as  I  have  ever  seen.  '  Mrs.  Stiles '  was  particularly 
lady-like  in  her  deportment,  and  was  discreet  to  a  fault, 
and  the  ladies  in  the  house  with  whom  she  became  ac- 
quainted soon  learned  to  love  her  dearly.  She  never  had 
any  gentlemen  callers,  and  when  Mr.  Stiles  was  out  of  town, 
as  he  generally  was  from  Friday  until  Monday,  being  at  his 
home  at  Dixon,  she  never  went  out  of  the  house.  At  those 
times  she  cooked  her  meals  on  an  oil-stove  and  contented 
herself  in-doors.  Thus  their  lives  passed  apparently  with- 
out a  jar.  About  1  o'clock  each  day  she  would  meet  him 
at  some  down-town  restaurant  and  have  dinner  with  him, 
and  then  at  6  o'clock  would  again  meet  him  and  go  to  sup- 
per, and  the  pair  would  return  to  the  house  at  9  or  10 


STURLA-STILES  TEAGEDY.  39 

o'clock.  had  never  noticed  anything  peculiar  about  them 
until  the  Fourth  of  July,  when,  without  stating  where  she 
was  going,  '  Mrs.  Stiles '  packed  her  trunk  and  left  the  house. 
On  Wednesday  afternoon,  between  4  and  5  o'clock,  Mr. 
Stiles  came  to  the  house  and  asked  where  '  Effie  '  was.  I 
replied  that  she  had  gone  and  taken  her  trunk.  He  be- 
came almost  frantic  at  the  aunouncement,  and,  gesticula- 
ting in  a  wild  sort  of  way,  said :  '  My  God !  my  God !  If 
this  goes  on  I'll  lose  my  mind,  I  am  sure  I  will.  Mother  is 
responsible.  She  has  tried  so  often  to  separate  us.  Had 
father  lived,  all  would  be  different.'  I  left  him  in  that  state 
of  mind,  and  he  soon  went  away.  Later  in  the  evening  he 
and  his  wife  returned,  and  about  noon  on  Thursday  her 
trunk  and  the  things  she  had  taken  away  with  her  on  the 
4th  came  back. 

"From  that  time  until  Sunday  all  went  well;  they  went 
to  their  meals  regularly,  and  in  the  evening  Mr.  Stiles  re- 
turned home  with  her.  On  Sunday  morning,  between  9 
and  10  o'clock,  I  was  sitting  in  the  hall,  when  Mr.  Stiles 
came  out  of  his  room,  and,  bidding  me  good  morning,  went 
down  stairs.  Near  11  o'clock  a  messenger  came  to  my  room 
with  a  note  addressed  to  me.  I  recognized  Mr.  Stiles' 
handwriting  on  the  address,  and  as  I  had  received  several 
of  the  same  kind  before  I  turned  it  over  to  his  wife  without 
opening  it,  being  convinced  it  was  for  her.  She  broke  the 
seal  hurriedly,  and  as  I  was  leaving  the  room  she  called  me 
back,  saying:  'See  here,  Mrs.  Harvey.'  Hooked  over  the 
note  hastily  and  saw  it  directed  me  to  say  to  '  Effie '  that  he 
could  not  take  care  of  her  as  he  would  like,  so  they  must 
separate  forever.  '  Mrs.  Stiles '  was  considerably  agitated 
over  the  note,  but  said  very  little  save  that  it  was  terrible 
that  she  should  be  so  treated.  The  day  passed  slowly  to 
me,  as  I  momentarily  expected  something.  I  knew  not 
what.  Finally,  about  5  o'clock,  I  saw  them  in  the  hall,  and 


40  STUELA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

I  heard  Mr.  Stiles  say  in  a  rather  cheerful  tone :  '  Now,  my 
dear,  get  on  your  things,  and  we  will  take  a  ride,'  where- 
upon they  both  entered  their  rooms.  A  few  minutes  later 
they  passed  down  the  stairs,  and  that  was  the  last  time  I 
saw  Mr.  Stiles  alive.  I  felt  solicitous  for  the  welfare  of  the 
couple,  and  that  fact  kept  me  up  until  nearly  12  o'clock 
Sunday  night,  awaiting  their  return;  but  as  they  did  not 
come  I  retired.  I  had  been  in  bed  about  an  hour  when  I 
heard  an  impatient  rap  at  my  door,  and  I  asked  who  was 
there.  A  voice  replied :  '  Mrs.  Stiles.  I  want  to  see  you, 
quick,  please.'  I  arose  and  opened  the  door,  and  she  asked 
me  to  come  into  her  room.  I  said  I  was  in  my  night- 
clothes,  and  could  not.  She  said:  '  Oh,  Charley  isn't  in 
there.  It's  all  right.  Come  in.'  So  I  followed  her  to  her 
room.  She  turned  up  the  gas,  and  I  beheld  one  of  the 
most  forlorn  pictures  I  have  ever  seen.  The  young  woman 
was  dripping  with  rain,  and  her  dress  was  bedraggled  with 
mud  and  dirt.  I  looked  at  her  in  utter  bewilderment,  and 
she  said:  'What  do  you  suppose  Charley  did  last  night? ' 
I  replied  that  I  did  not  know.  Continuing,  she  said:  '  He 
took  me  out  to  Downing's,  or  Sunnyside,  after  we  left  here. 
On  the  way  out  he  asked  me  for  money,  and  I  said  I  had 
none.  This  made  him  very  angry,  and  he  choked  me  and 
said  he  would  put  me  out  of  the  buggy.  But  we  got  to 
Downiiig's  and  got  some  supper,  for  which  he  did  not  pay. 
After  we  had  finished  eating  he  lit  a  cigar  and  stepped  out- 
side. A  few  minutes  later  a  boy  came  in  and  told  me  Mr. 
Stiles  had  gone  to  exercise  the  horse.  I  thought  it  strange, 
but  said  nothing.  I  waited  until  near  11  o'clock,  when  I 
concluded  that  he  had  run  away  from  me,  and  I  started 
home.  The  rain  was  falling  very  fast,  but  I  could  not  stay 
there,  so  I  walked  all  the  way  to  the  cars  through  it.  It  is 
terrible.  I  can't  understand  it.'  The  poor  woman  broke 
down  entirely,  and  sobbed  piteously.  At  length,  I  turned 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  41 

to  go  to  my  room,  but  she  insisted  that  I  should  stay,  being 
apparently  afraid  to  remain  alone.  I  said  I  could  not,  but 
she  would  not  hear  to  my  going,  so  I  staid.  I  laid  on  the 
bed  and  soon  dropped  to  sleep,  as  I  was  quite  tired.  Two 
or  three  times  I  awoke,  and  I  heard  her  moving  nervously 
about  the  room  and  shuffling  papers.  Once  I  asked  her 
what  she  was  doing,  and  she  replied  that  she  was  just 
arranging  some^papers  and  things.  I  dropped  asleep  again, 
and  was  awakened  by  '  Mrs.  Stiles '  at  6  o'clock,  the  hour  at 
which  she  had  promised  me  I  should  be  awakened  if  I 
would  remain  in  the  room.  I  went  back  to  my  own  room 
to  awaken  my  son  and  do  some  work.  A  few  minutes  after 
I  heard  '  Mrs.  Stiles '  close  the  door  and  pass  down  stairs. 
The  next  time  I  saw  her  was  behind  the  bars  at  the  Har- 
rison street  station,  where  I  visited  her  a  few  minutes  be- 
fore you  came." 

"Did  the  woman  make  any  threats  against  Mr.  Stiles 
while  you  were  in  the  room  ?  "  inquired  the  reporter. 

"No,  sir;  she  said  nothing  against  him,  except  that  she 
thought  he  had  treated  her  shamefully." 

"  Did  she  intimate  that  she  intended  looking  him  up  and 
demanding  an  explanation  of  his  conduct  the  previous 
night?" 

"No,  sir;  she  said  nothing,  save  that  she  loved  him 
dearly,  and  that  she  could  not  understand  why  he  should 
thus  abuse  her." 

"Did  you  ever  know  them  to  have  any  trouble  before 
while  living  in  your  house  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  I  never  had  the  slightest  suspicion  that  any- 
thing was  wrong.  She  seemed  like  a  good,  pure  woman, 
and  I  had  always  thought  that  if  every  man  treated  his 
wife  as  well  as  he  did  her  there  would  be  many  more  happy 
women  in  the  world.  As  near  as  I  am  able  to  judge,  he 
was  a  model  husband,  and  I  can  not  tell  you  how  sur- 


42  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

prised  I  was  when  I  heard  her  confess  she  was  not  mar- 
ried." 

"  Did  they  pay  their  rent  promptly  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir;  very.  'Mrs.  Stiles'  always  handed  me  the 
money  at  the  end  of  the  month." 

"  Did  she  ever  say  anything  about  the  money  being  hers 
and  not  his  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  I  always  supposed  he  gave  it  to  her  to  hand  to 
me." 

"  Where  did  they  come  from  to  your  house?  " 

"  Mr.  Stiles  said  that  his  wife  had  kept  furnished  rooms  at 
No.  311  Wabash  avenue,  and  that  his  brother,  uncle,  and 
father,  and  several  Board  of  Trade  men  lived  with  them. 
Also,  that  his  father  had  died  in  the  house  which  she  kept." 

"  Did  any  of  Mr.  Stiles'  relatives  ever  visit  them  since 
they  have  lived  here?" 

"I  think  not." 

It  is  but  just  to  say  that  Mrs.  Harvey  bears  an  excellent 
reputation  among  all  who  know  her,  and  that  she  was  de- 
ceived by  Mr.  Stiles  and  the  woman  there  is  no  doubt. 

MAD    MADELINE. 

As  near  as  can  be  learned,  Theressa  Sturla,  or  Madeline, 
as  she  was  familiarly  called,  was  a  very  general  favorite 
among  the  abandoned  women  with  whom  she  cast  her  lot 
at  a  very  early  age,  as  well  as  those  of  the  other  sex  who 
sought  her  favors.  "Women  found  her  kind,  generous,  and 
loving,  and  men  deemed  her  peculiarly  beautiful  and  en- 
chanting, and  in  the  opinion  of  both  she  invariably  won  a 
high  place.  Notwithstanding  these  facts,  and  the  further 
fact  that  she  found  little  difficulty  in  accumulating  riches, 
those  who  knew  her  well  say  that  she  hated  a  shameful  life, 
and  was  happiest  when  enabled  to  live  in  peace  and  quiet, 
away  from  the  world,  along  with  the  man  she  loved.  It 


6TURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  43 

seems  that  the  first  public  house  of  ill-repute  which  the  girl 
entered  in  Chicago  was  Carrie  Watson's,  Sept.  2, 1881.  At 
that  time  she  had  quarreled  with  Stiles,  and  had  refused 
longer  to  live  with  him.  However,  they  soon  "  made  up," 
and,  after  visiting  her  almost  nightly  at  Miss  Watson's, 
Stiles  took  her  to  live  on  Wabash  avenue.  Not  long  after 
another  separation  occurred,  and  again  she  returned  to 
Watson's,  and  again  she  was  taken  out  by  her  avowed  lover. 
Then  another  quarrel  sent  her  back  to  her  old  haunts, 
where  she  lived  until  she  went  to  live  with  Stiles  at  No. 
291  Wabash  avenue,  about  the  middle  of  April.  It  seems 
that  they  lived  quite  happily  until  July  4  last,  when  Made- 
line, for  the  fourth  time,  put  in  an  appearance  at  Miss  Wat- 
son's establishment,  and  was  given  apartments.  She  re- 
mained there  until  the  evening  of  the  5th,  when  she  was 
called  to  the  front  door,  and  suddenly  disappeared.  She 
did  not  return  until  the  next  morning,  when  the  landlady 
asked  where  she  had  been.  She  said  that  Stiles  had  drag- 
ged her  from  the  door  to  a  hack,  and  had  threatened  her 
with  arrest  and  imprisonment  if  she  did  not  go  with  him. 
Fearful  lest  he  might  harm  her,  she  went  with  him,  and 
had  consented  to  return  to  live  with  him,  and  she  repacked 
her  trunk  and  took  it  away.  The  next  heard  of  her  she 
was  in  the  station  charged  with  murder. 

Miss  Watson  says  she  has  no  doubt  the  girl  was  shame- 
fully abused  by  Stiles.  She  knows  that  he  took  nearly 
every  cent  she  could  make,  which  was  nearly  always  in 
excess  of  the  income  of  any  other  of  her  boarders.  Stiles 
made  her  life  miserable  in  many  other  ways.  He  would 
enter  the  house  at  the  most  unseemly  hours,  and  proceed 
at  once  to  her  room  and  insist  upon  entering,  no  matter 
what  the  surroundings  were.  Miss  Watson  says,  also,  that 
on  several  occasions  Stiles'  brother  appeared  at  the  house 
and  demanded  money  from  the  girl,  and  abused  her  roundly 


44  STUKLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

when  she  refused  it.  Whenever  she  was  away  from  the 
house  any  length  of  time*with  Stiles,  she  would  return  al- 
most without  decent  clothing,  and  without  jewelry,  which 
she  said  Stiles  pawned. 

When  asked  whether  the  girl  had  ever  shown  signs  of 
•insanity,  Miss  Watson  said  she  had  noticed  some  very 
peculiar  acts  by  her.  About  a  year  ago,  while  she  was  with 
her,  Madeline  purchased  a  bottle-green  silk  dress,  and, 
taking  it  to  an  artist,  ordered  him  to  cover  it  with  skulls 
and  cross-bones,  coffins  with  human  heads  peeping  from 
them,  lizards,  snakes,  and  various  other  horrible  designs. 
The  artist  dissuaded  her  from  such  a  purpose,  but  she 
finally  insisted  and  succeeded  in  having  him  decorate  the 
dress  with  a  boa  constrictor,  nine  feet  in  length,  the  head 
of  which  rested  on  her  shoulder.  She  then  gave  it  dia- 
mond eyes,  as  she  did  several  rattlesnakes  and  lizards  on 
the  waist  and  front  of  the  skirt.  At  times,  when  she  would 
be  talking  with  people,  she  would  suddenly  change  her  lan- 
guage from  English,  which  she  spoke  well,  to  Italian,  and 
chatter  away  until  her  attention  was  called  to  the  fact, 
when  she  would  appear  deeply  chagrined. 

In  the  afternoon  Miss  Watson  called  upon  the  prisoner 
at  the  station  and  asked  her  if  she  did  not  want  something 
to  eat.  She  replied  no,  but  she  wanted  a  bottle  of  Bando- 
line. Those  who  know  her  best  think  that  the  unhappy 
life  she  has  led  has  affected  her  brain,  and  that  she  was  un- 
able to  control  herself  when  she  did  the  shooting. 

Miss  Watson  says  that  she  always  carried  a  pistol  in  her 
pocket,  whether  in  or  out  of  the  house,  when  she  lived  with 
her,  and  she  does  not  think  she  put  it  in  her  pocket  with 
the  view  of  shooting  Stiles. 

My  right  name,  she  said,  "  is  Theressa  Sturla.  I  speak 
it  now  for  the  first  time  in  years.  My  parents  brought  me 
from  Italy  to  Baltimore  when  I  was  a  little  girl.  No;  you 


8TURLA-8TILES  TRAGEDY.  45 

must  not  ask  me  about  them,  for  my  mother  is  good  and  I 
will  not  shame  her.  Charlie  Stiles  picked  me  up  when  I 
was  15  years  old.  He  was  following  the  races  as  a  pool- 
seller  at  that  time." 

"  Did  he  ruin  you  ?" 

"  I  cannot  say  that.  It  is  enough  to  tell  you  that  I  loved 
him,  and  have  loved  him  ever  since.  I  was  glad  to  go 
with  him.  We  traveled  through  different  cities — New 
York,  Philadelphia,  and  others,  and  he  treated  me  as  his 
wife.  Often  he  promised  to  marry  me,  but  he  never  did. 
Oh,  if  he  had  he  could  have  made  a  good  woman  of  me, 
for  when  I  lived  with  him  I  was  as  faithful  as  ever  a  wife 
could  be.  Well,  he  left  me  in  the  east,  and  went  to  settle 
in  Chicago.  He  wrote  for  me  to  come  to  him, — such  kind 
letters, — and,I  came.  We  lived  at  the  hotels  as  man  and 
wife,  but  he  soon  began  to  ill-use  me,  and  made  my  life 
miserable.  I  thought  him  crazy  at  times.  He  would  pet 
me,  and  the  next  moment  would  be  ready  to  cut  my  throat. 
It  must  have  been  more  than  four  years  ago  when  we  first 
parted.  I  was  a  lost,  ignorant  girl.  What  could  I  do  ?  I 
did  what  nearly  all  women  do  in  such  cases." 

She  paused,  as  if  what  was  to  come  "was  too  shameful  to 
tell,  and  then  went  on : 

"I  applied  for  admission  to  a  house  of  ill-fame  at  No.  10 
South  Clark  street.  I  saved  the  money  that  I  made,  and 
in  less  than  nine  months  was  able  to  buy  out  the  place. 
That  surprises  you.  Well,  I  could  sing  and  play,  and  I 
knew  how  to  make  myself  agreeable.  I  could  entertain 
visitors,  and  I  attended  to  business.  When  I  was  mistress 
of  the  place  I  continued  to  make  money.  A  great  many 
men  on  the  board  of  trade  know  me.  Charlie  constantly 
visited  me.  He  spent  my  money  and  I  never  tried  to  keep 
it  from  him.  At  last  he  began  to  entreat  me  to  return  to 
the  old  life.  I  supposed  that  he  loved  me;  I  was  still  fond 


46  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

of  him,  and  I  could  not  resist.  Well,  I  sold  out  the  busi- 
ness. It  brought  me  more  than  $6.000.  He  took  the 
money  and  lost  every  cent  of  it." 

"Did  not  someone  else's  money  help  you  to  buy  that 
business  in  the  first  place?" 

"Yes;  it  is  true  that  Jim  Baxter,  the  match-bond  man, 
spent  a  great  deal  on  me.  That  was  the  time  when  he  was 
flush.  He  gave  me  diamond  ear-rings  worth  $2.500,  but 
Charlie  made  me  return  them.  Baxter  offered  me  $10.000 
to  skip  to  Canada  with  him,  but  I  refused.  The  govern- 
ment detectives  tried  to  get  me  to  follow  him  and  entice 
him  over  the  line  again  into  this  country.  They  knew  I 
could  do  it,  but  I  refused. 

"From  the  Clark  street  place  Charlie  took  me  to  board 
at  the  Palmer  house,  and  he  booked  me  as  Mrs.  Taylor. 
This  was  the  first  time  he  refused  to  give  me  his  own  name. 
I  had  always  been  known  as  Madeline  Stiles,  even  when  I 
was  a  member  of  the  demi-monde.  We  only  lived  at  the 
Palmer  house  a  week,  but  there  was  a  terrible  scene  there 
before  we  left  it.  He  took  $500  from  my  room  one  day. 
When  he  showed  up  again,  his  eyes  were  bloodshot  from 
the  effects  of  a  spree.  When  I  asked  for  the  money,  he 
laughed  in  my  face  and  called  me  a  fool.  Then  he  grew 
mad,  and  struck  me,  kicking  me  when  I  was  half  insensible 
on  the  floor.  Oh,  that  was  an  awful  week ! 

"I  longed  to  have  a  home  of  my  own,  and  I  gave 
Charlie  $600  to  furnish  a  flat  for  me  at  No.  371  Wabash 
avenue.  I  kept  gentlemen  boarders  there,  but  I  led  a 
respectable  life.  His  father  came  to  town,  and  staid  with 
us  for  awhile.  I  liked  the  old  man,  for  he  was  good- 
hearted  and  kind.  Once  he  said  to  me :  '  Effie,  be  patient 
with  my  boy.  Charlie  hasn't  treated  you  right,  but  one  of 
these  days  he  will  marry  you.  Then  we  will  all  go  east 
and  live  there  together.'  Ah,  if  hev  hadn't  died  everything 


STUBLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  47 

would  be  well  to-day.  But  old  Mrs.  Stiles  came  on,  and 
her  ways  excited  Charlie's  father,  who  was  dying  of  heart 
disease.  One  afternoon  last  August — I  will  never  forget  it 
— the  old  man  was  stricken  with  paralysis  of  the  heart. 
He  died  in  my  arms. 

"  Then  it  was  I  lost  my  only  friend,  for  after  the  funeral 
the  relatives  ordered  me  to  leave  the  flat  that  had  been 
bought  with  my  own  money.  Charlie  said:  'Erne,  make 
it  over  to  my  aunt,  and  I'll  pay  you  back  some  time.  One 
of  these  days  I'll  make  a  big  stake,  and  you'll  get  a  good 
share.'  That's  the  way  he  talked,  but  when  he  did  win 
money  he  spent  it  on  himself.  I  would  not  give  up  the 
furniture,  but  last  August  I  stored  it  away,  and  went  to 
live  at  Carrie  Watson's.  Even  then  he  would  not  let  me 
alone.  One  night  he  burst  into  my  room  and  caught  me 
in  his  arms.  I  had  been  thinking  of  the  old  man's  death 
at  that  moment  and  I  screamed  with  fright.  He  hushed 
me,  and  told  me  that  I  must  go  with  him  to  the  Palmer 
house.  Once  in  his  room,  he  began  packing  his  valise,  and 
told  me  that  I  was  to  see  him  to  the  train  and  bid  him 
good-by  forever.  But  when  we  reached  the  depot  he 
forced  me  into  the  train,  and  took  me  with  him  to  Gales- 
burg.  My  God,  how  he  treated  me !  I'll  tell  you  what  he 
did  to  me  once.  We  were  di'iving  between  Aurora  and 
Batavia,  when  he  began  choking  me  in  the  buggy.  He 
stopped  the  horse  and  threw  me  out.  Perhaps  he  thought 
I  would  follow  him,  but  I  ran  in  an  opposite  direction. 
Then  he  turned  about  and  chased  me.  I  would  have 
jumped  into  the  river,  but  I  didn't  know  how  to  swim.  As 
it  was,  I  tried  to  climb  a  fence  to  escape  him.  I  had  my 
pistol  in  my  dress  pocket,  and  I  held  it  all  the  time.  I  fell 
from  the  top  of  the  fence,  striking  my  head  on  the  ground. 
Then  I  forgot  everything  until  I  found  myself  in  the  next 
town.  He  had  picked  me  up  insensible  and  taken  me 
there  in  the  buggy." 


48  STURLA-STILES   TRA.GED?. 

"Did  he  treat  you  more  kindly  afterward?" 

"  More  kindly?  Why  he  used  to  strike  me  on  the  head 
tfhere  I  had  been  hurt.  He  often  said  that  he  would  like 
to  drive  me  into  an  insane  asylum.  He  was  crazy  to  be 
talked  about,  and  told  me  that  he  would  some  time  make  a 
great  sensation  by  killing  me.  But  that  horrible  drive  was 
not  as  bad  as  another  that  we  had  while  I  was  still  staying 
at  Watson's.  I  met  him  by  appointment  that  time,  got 
into  the  buggy  and  drove  off  with  him.  There  was  a 
thunder-storm  that  night,  and  the  rain  was  pouring  down 
just  like  it  was  last  night  when  he  left  me  at  Downing's.  I 
never  knew  where  he  was  taking  me  until  we  were  on  the 
lake  shore  near  the  South  park.  Then  he  dragged  me  out 
of  the  buggy  by  the  hair  and  choked  me.  '  I  love  you,'  he 
said,  while  his  fingers  were  about  my  throat;  'I  love  you, 
but  you  are  a  fast  woman,  and  that  makes  me  hate  you. 
I  will  kill  you  here,  and  when  your  body  is  found  in  the 
morning,  no  one  will  know  who  did  it.  I  left  the  livery- 
stable  alone,  and  I  will  never  be  suspected.'  Those  were 
his  words.  I  was  never  so  scared  in  my  life,  but  I  begged 
him  on  my  knees  to  spare  me.  Then  he  made  "me  take  an 
oath  that  I  would  be  faithful  to  him.  I  swore  that  I  would 
be  true  to  him.  Yes,  and  before  God,  I  kept  that  oath, 
but  I  have  never  seen  the  lighting  flash  since  without 
shuddering." 

"  Then  you  went  to  live  with  him  again?" 

"Yes,  it  was  three  months  ago.  I  went  with  him  to 
room  at  No.  291  Wabash  avenue,  and  I  lived  straight  and 
nice.  He  lived  with  me,  but  he  kept  a  room  at  the  Palmer 
house  as  a 'blind,' to  deceive  his  mother.  Now  and  then 
he  would  run  down  to  Dixon,  to  see  the  old  lady,  and  when 
he  was  gone  I  lived  quietly  alone.  My  only  amusement 
was  to  play  with  two  little  children.  I  wanted  to  be  a 
good  wife  to  him.  I  never  wronged  him  in  my  life.  He 


8TURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  49 

was  welcome  to  all  I  had.  But  the  more  I  loved  him  the 
more  he  beat  me,  the  more  he  threatened  to  kill  me.  And 
how  he  used  to  talk  of  me !  In  the  old  days  he  used  to 
tell  his  friends:  'I've  got  an  Italian  woman,  who  will  stab 
me  to  death  one  of  these  days  unless  I  kill  her  first.'  Men 
believed  him  until  they  saw  how  he  treated  me,  and  then 
they  knew  that  I  was  not  to  blame." 

"  What  led  to  the  last  of  all  your  quarrels  ?" 
"  I'll  tell  you  everything.  I  left  him  on  the  Fourth  of 
July  and  begged  Carrie  Watson  to  take  me  in  again.  But 
Charlie  came  the  next  day,  and  it  was  the  old  story  over 
again.  I  went  off  with  him.  He  promised  to  pay  me 
everything  he  owed  me,  and  that  was  more  than  $5,000. 
I  told  him:  'Charlie,  you  will  get  crazy  and  choke  me  to 
death.'  But  he  said  he  would  never  treat  me  badly  again." 
"This  is  how  I  came  to  kill  him.  Sunday  afternoon  we 
Went  out  to  the  South  park  together  on  the  cable  cars. 
We  returned  early,  hired  a  horse  and  buggy,  and  went  to 
spend  the  evening  at  Downing's  hotel  at  Sunnyside.  He 
stopped  on  the  way  to  drink  beer.  '  I  am  going  to  drink 
lots  of  it,'  he  said,  '  for  I  want  to  get  up  a  fight  with  you. 
Of  course  I  thought  he  was  joking.  When  we  were  eating 
our  chicken  at  Downing's,  he  said :  '  Do  you  know,  I  feel 
like  killing  you  ?'  I  laughed  so  hard  I  nearly  choked,  and 
when  Mrs.  Downing  entered  the  room,  Charlie  began  to 
laugh  too.  He  wanted  me  to  drink  beer,  but  I  wouldn't. 
He  took  it  himself  and  then  asked  me  for  $500.  I  said  I 
couldn't  let  him  have  it,  but  if  he  was  broke  I  would  pay 
for  the  supper.  You  know  I  always  paid  for  his  meals 
when  we  used  to  go  to  Kinsley's.  I  remember  that  I  put 
my  arms  about  his  neck,  and  kissed  him  and  pulled  his 
hair,  just  in  fun,  you  know.  At  9:30  o'clock  he  ran  out  of 
the  room,  saying 'he  would  leave  me,  and  he  jumped  into 
the  buggy  and  drove  off.  Just  think  of  it !  He  left  me 
4 


50  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

alone  there — left  me  to  walk  back  through  the  mud  and 
rain.  I  had  to  go  three  miles  through  the  storm  on  foot 
before  I  reached  the  street-cars.  '  My  God !'  I  said  to  my- 
self, '  I  will  never  go  without  a  revolver  again !' " 

"  You  were  afraid  of  tramps,"  said  the  visitor. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  catching  at  the  suggestion.  "  I  was  afraid 
of  tramps.  God  knows  what  might  have  happened  to  me. 
Well,  when  I  reached  home  I  said  to  myself:  I  will  leave  him 
forever  in  the  morning.  I  will  go  to  him  and  say:  Charlie, 
we  must  seperate.  Remember,  I've  been  a  good  woman  to 
you.  You  will  have  one  picture  in  your  mind  as  long  as 
you  live — the  picture  of  your  father  dying  in  my  arms !" 

"That's  what  I  intended  to  say  to  him.  So  I  got  up 
this  morning  early  and  started  for  the  Palmer  house.  I 
took  my  pistol  with  me — a  pistol  that  I  have  had  for  many 
years.  But  I  didn't  intend  to  kill  him  ;  I  wanted  to  kiss 
him  good-by.  I  knocked  at  the  door,  and  I  heard  him  ask: 
'  Who's  there?'  '  A-  messenger  boy  with  a  letter,'  I  said. 
He  opened  the  door,  and  I  said:  'It's  me.'  He  let  me  in, 
and  I  said:  'Charlie,  we've  got  to  separate;  I'm  going 
back  to  Carrie's.'  'D —  you/  he  said,  'you'll  never  go 
back,'  and  he  pushed  me  on  the  sofa.  I  broke  away  from 
him  and  he  knocked  me  down,  and  kicked  me  in  the  side, 
'here  near  the  heart.  I  was  blinded  and  dazed  when  I  got 
up,  and  then  he  choked  me.  Look  at  my  neck — " 

She  took  the  lace  from  her  throat  and"  disclosed  the 
purple  marks  apparently  of  a  man's  nails. 

"  He  threw  me  back  on  the  table,"  she  went  on,  "  and  I 
pulled  the  revolver  out  of  my  pocket.  *  Look  out,  Charlie,' 
said  I,  '  I've  got  a  pistol  pointed  at  you.'  He  still  choked 
me,  and  then — and  then — I  don't  know  how, — but  the 
pistol  went  off." 

She  said  the  last  words  with  hesitating  horror.  She 
could  not  say  "  I  shot  him." 


STURLA-S'TILES   TRAGEDY.  51 

"  They  tell  me  I  followed  him  and  fired  again,"  she  con- 
tinued. "  I  don't  remember  ;  sometimes  I  can't  remember 
anything;  my  head  troubles  me.  And  they  say  I  took  his 
head  in  my  lap  and  kissed  him  when  he  was  lying  dead  in 
the  hall.  But  I  don't  remember;  I  don't,  indeed." 

She  stopped,  and  leaned  back  on  the  rude  prison  bed 
exhausted. 

"How  do  I  feel?"  repeating  the  last  question  of  the 
reporter.  "  Well,  I  can't  realize  it  now.  I  can't  believe 
that  it  happened  at  all.  I  wish  I  could  cry,  but  I  don't 
know  how — "  and  her  lips  parted  slowly  into  a  smile,  and 
she  laughed  musically. 

In  telling  the  story  as  it  is  given  above,  she  had  swept 
the  whole  gamut  of  passion, — shame,  fear,  love,  hatred, 
revenge, — and  it  seemed  like  a  ghastly  climax  to  the  tale 
that  she  should  end  it  with  a  laugh. 

Another  journalist  gives  the  following: 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  name  Madeline  Stiles, 
which  the  woman  chose  to  assume,  is  not  authentic,  but, 
as  is  always  the  case  with  women  of  her  sort,  her  real  name 
remains  a  matter  of  mere  conjecture  so  long  as  she  chooses 
to  conceal  it.  It  is  known  definitely  of  this  girl,  however, 
that  she  received  letters  addressed  to  Teresa  Sterling. 
The  letters  were  supposed  by  her  associates  to  come  from 
her  mother,  and  they  were  dated  from  Baltimore.  It  was 
understood,  also,  that  the  young  woman  came  here  from 
Baltimore,  and  that  she  met  Stiles  in  that  city.  Her  father 
and  mother,  for  whom  she  has  expressed  the  deepest  con- 
cern since  the  tragedy,  are  believed  to  be  still  residents  of 
that  place,  although  she  refuses  to  admit  it. 

Teresa  Sterling,  for  so  she  may  now  be  called,  is  of  Ital- 
ian birth,  as  her  cast  of  features,  dark  eyes  and  olive  skin, 
clearly  show.  She  spoki-  the  language  of  the  Sunny  Penin- 
sula, and  sang  the  songs  of  her  Fatherland  in  a  beautiful 


62  STTJRLA— STILES  TRAGEDY. 

contralto,  accompanying  herself  on  a  piano  or  guitar.  Her 
life  "on  the  town"  must  have  been  begun  at  a  tender  age, 
for  she  lived  in  a  bagnio  of  a  certain  Mrs.  Fay,  in  Baltimore, 
before  she  came  to  Chicago.  Her  manners  and  personal 
beauty  always  secured  for  her  an  eager  following.  Con- 
trary to  the  habits  of  her  class,  however,  she  saved  her 
earnings — hoarded  them,  in  fact,  to  the  dollar,  and  never 
drank  or  caroused. 

The  murderess,  as  seen  in  her  cell  this  forenoon,  appeared 
to  be  a  remarkably  pretty  girl  of  perhaps  twenty-five  years, 
with  dark,  splendid  eyes,  heavy  black  hair,  and  has  the  air 
of  a  lady  about  her.  She  was  dressed  in  a  black  waist  and 
skirt,  light-colored  jacket  and  a  dark  straw  hat  tied  down 
with  a  blue  veil.  Her  hands  clasped  and  unclasped  nerv- 
ously, and  the  muscles  in  her  face  twitched  with  pain 

"  Will  you  tell  the  story  of  the  shooting  and  the  motives 
leading  to  it  ?"  asked  the  reporter. 

"I  presume  I  might  as  well,"  she  answered,  clasping  her 
hands  and  sobbing  as  if  her  heart  would  break.  "  My 
name  is  Mrs.  Madeline  Stiles — at  least  that  .is  the  name  I 
am  known  by  in  Chicago — and  my  right  name  I  will  not 
tell.  I  met  Charlie  Stiles  first  about  six  years  ago,  in  the 
East,  when  he  was  following  a  horse-racing  circuit.  I  was 
respectable  then,  but  went  to  live  with  him  as  his  wife,  and 
took  his  name;  but  we  have  never  been  married.  About 
five  years  ago  I  joined  him  here  in  Chicago,  and  then  began 
my  trouble.  Oh,  my  God  in  heaven,  have  mercy  on  a 
miserable  woman's  broken  heart !  Oh !  what  will  my  father 
and  mother  do  ?  What  will  Charlie's  mother  do  ?  My  God ! 
My  God !" 

The  prisoner  broke  into  a  flood  of  piteous  tears.  Kegain- 
ing  her  composure,  she  continued: 

"  I  left  him  July  4th,  and  went  to  Miss  Carrie  Watson's 
to  live,  because  he  abused  me  so;  but  he  came  after  me  in 


8TUELA-STLLES   TRAGEDY.  53 

a  carriage  and  made  me  go  back  to  291  Wabash  avenue, 
where  we  lived  as  man  and  wife,  he  having  a  room  at  the 
Palmer  House  merely  as  a  blind.  He  ill-used  me  again. 
Last  night  he  took  me  to  ride  out  to  Downing's,  and 
because  I  told  him  I  had  no  more  money  to  give  him,  he 
deserted  me  there  and  left  me  to  come  home  alone,  which 
I  did,  getting  wet  through.  I  determined  then  never  to 
have  any  more  to  do  with  him,  and  this  morning  I  went  to 
his  room  to  say  good-bye.  As  soon  as  I  got  in  the  room, 
I  said:  'What  made  you  leave  me  out  at  Downing's  last 
night  ?'  and  he  told  me  in  reply  to  leave  the  room  or  he 
would  have  me  put  out.  I  said  to  him :  '  I  am  going  back 
to  Miss  Carrie's  to  live,  and  you  must  never  see  me  again.' 
I  felt  bad,  and  I  said  to  him:  'Charlie,  kiss  me  good-bye — 
just  one  kiss  for  the  old  love's  sake.'  Then  he  got  mad, 
and  said:  'G —  d —  you,  I'll  kill  you  yet.  You  ain't  going 
back  to  Carrie's.'  And  then  he  grabbed  me  by  the  throat — 
a  favorite  trick  of  his.  I  had  the  pistol  in  my  hand,  and  I 
said  to  him:  'Look  out,  Charlie;  this  might  go  off.'  But 
he  didn't  stop,  and  kept  struggling  with  me.  I  pushed 
the  pistol  toward  him,  and  before  I  knew  it  the  shot  was 
fired.  I  don't  remember  any  more,  I  was  so  faint  and 
frightened.  Then  a  number  of  men  came,  and  the  police 
brought  me  here." 

"  You  say  you  didn't  mean  to  shoot  him  ?" 
"  Oh,  yes.  I  didn't  mean  to,  but  he  drove  me  to  any 
thing.  Several  times  when  he  has  taken  my  money  and 
then  abused  me,  I  warned  him  that  he  would  drive  me  to 
something  desperate  yet.  But  he  paid  no  attention  to  me. 
OL,  my  God !  this  world  is  filled  with  grief  and  shame  ! 
What  shall  I  do?" 

"  Did  Mr.  Stiles  acknowledge  you  as  his  wife  ?" 
"  Yes,  always.    He  introduced  me  as  Mrs.  Stiles  to  his 
friends.    Why,  his  father  died  in  my  arms,  at  my  rooms, 


54  STURLA-STILES  TEAGKDY. 

371  "Wabash  avenue,  on  August  26th  last.  I  was  keeping 
house  then  in  a  flat,  and  had  a  lovely  home,  which  Charlie 
shared  with  me.  We  were  so  happy  for  a  time !  I  had 
reformed — I  had  become  respectable  once  more,  and  could 
hold  up  my  head  and  look  at  people.  I  went  to  church.  I 
tried  to  get  my  heart  right,  and  so  live  that  I  might  not  be 
lost  at  the  last.  Charlie's  father  was  very  good  to  me,  and 
often  came  to  our  home,  and  I  thought  the  world  of  him. 
As  I  said,  he  died  in  my  arms  on  that  August  afternoon, 
and  I  could  not  have  felt  worse  if  he  had  been  my  own 
father.  Well,  soon  after  that  Charlie  began  abusing  me 
again,  and  finally  his  brother  came  and  ordered  me  out  of 
the  flat — out  of  my  own  home.  I  knew  how  the  world  and 
society  looked  upon  a  woman  like  me,  and  I  knew  I  should 
not  get  sympathy  or  aid  if  I  asked  for  them.  So,  to  save 
further  trouble,  I  stored  my  furniture  and  left  the  flat. 
Afterward  I  sold  the  furniture  and  went  to  Miss  Carrie's  to 
live.  All  my  bright  dreams  were  shattered,  and  again  I 
was  down  to  the  common  level  of  a  lost  and  forsaken 
woman.  But  Charlie  wouldn't  let  me  alone.  He  was  con- 
tinually hunting  me  out  and  making  me  go  back  to  him. 
Then  we  got  the  room  at  291  Wabash  avenue,  where  his 
trunk  and  other  things  are.  In  February  he  abused  me — 
kicked  me  and  choked  me — and  I  had  him  arrested.  He 
was  brought  to  this  (Harrison  street)  station,  and  gave  the 
name  of  Ben  Shaw.  I  relented,  of  course,  and  got  him  out 
of  the  station. 

"  A  year  ago  last  April  I  had  a  room  at  the  Palmer  at 
the  same  time  he  did,  and  he  went  into  my  room  and  took 
every  thing  I  had  in  the  shape  of  money.  It  was  his  one 
cry — money,  money,  all  the  time;  and  I  gave  him  every 
thing  I  had  in  the  world.  I  even  went  back  to  that  miser- 
able life  in  order  to  earn  money  for  him ;  and  he  gambled 
it  away,  together  with  speculating  in  grain  and  provisions, 


STUELA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  55 

and,  of  course,  his  salary  went  the  same  way.  I  never 
remember  the  day,  within  five  years,  that  he  has  not  asked 
me  for  money.  I  told  him  not  to  do  so — it  made  me  feel 
bad  to  think  that  he  only  cared  for  me  for  the  money  I 
could  give  him.  Then  he  choked  and  kicked  me.  He  led 
me  a  dog's  life.  Every  two  or  three  weeks  he  would  send 
me  a  letter  bidding  me  farewell  forever.  I  felt  sad  enough; 
but,  if  it  was  for  his  good  to  give  me  up,  I  was  satisfied.  I 
had  given  my  honor  and  girlhood  to  him;  it  was  not  much 
more  to  stand  by  and  let  him  desert  me.  But  just  as  I 
would  begin  to  feel  resigned  to  our  parting,  he  would  come 
back  to  me.  When  I  "refused  him  money  he  always  re- 
proached me.  I  tried  to  get  along  once  by  keeping  a  house 
at  10  South  Clark  street,  renting  rooms,  but  he  made  me 
give  it  up." 

"  Didn't  you  go  over  to  the  Palmer  House  this  morning 
with  the  set  idea  of  killing  Mr.  Stiles  ?  " 

"  No,  nothing  of  the  kind.  I  felt  hurt  at  his  desertion  of 
me  in  the  rain  last  night,  and  simply  went  to  bid  him  good- 
by  and  ask  him  to  leave  me  alone  at  Miss  Carrie's.  When 
I  asked  him  to  kiss  me  good-by,  he  kicked  me." 

"  Did  he  support  you  as  his  wife '? " 

"  No.  Rather  did  I  support  him.  We  frequently  went 
to  Kinsley's  to  dinner  and  to  lunch,  and  my  money  in- 
variably paid  the  bills.  I  tell  you  again,  he  never  did  any 
thing  lor  me  but  spend  every  cent  I  could  rake  and  scrape 
together.  And  now  he  is  dead.  Oh,  isn't  it  awful,  and  I 
didn't  mean  to  kill  him !  I  never  fired  off  a  pistol  in  my 
life,  but  I  have  carried  a  pistol  a  long  time.  Oh,  if  he  had 
only  treated  me  decent  this  morning  all  might  have  been 
well  with  us!  Now,  all  is  gloom  and  sorrow.  Charlie's 
poor  mother — how  awful  she  will  feel !  Poor  heart !  poor 
heart!  I  almost  forget  my  own  grief  when  I  think  of  her. 
No,  I  won't  give  you  my  right  name.  No  one  knows  it 


56  STTJELA— STILES   TRAGEDY. 

here.  Charlie  always  called  me  Effie.  Oh,  if  he  had  only 
kissed  me  good-by ! " 

Again  the  prisoner  broke  down  in  tears,  and  the  reporter 
left  her  to  her  grief.  At  the  Palmer  House  the  story  runs 
that  the  woman  avowed  her  intention  to  kill  Mr.  Stiles, 
when  the  police  arrested  her. 

In  the  Board  of  Trade  alley. the  feeling  at  noon  ran 
high,  and  for  a  time  the  excitement  over  grain  and  stocks 
seemed  to  lull.  Secretary  Henneberry,  of  the  Call  Board, 
who  visited  the  murderess  in  her  cell,  said: 

"  I  was  very  much  impressed  with  the  story.  I  looked 
at  her  throat  and  saw  the  marks  of  a  struggle,  and  I  also 
saw  scratches  on  Charlie's  face  as  he  rested  in  the  casket 
at  the  morgue;  and  these  facts  seem  to  bear  out  the  story 
she  tells  of  the  struggle  in  the  room  during  which  he  was 
shot.  But  it  in  no  degree  excuses  her  for  the  murder. 
She  had  no  business  going  to  his  room  at  all,  much  less 
with  a  pistol  in  her  hand." 

"  Will  the  Call  Board  take  any  action  in  the  matter  ?  " 

"  The  Board  of  Directors  has  already  done  so,  though 
Mr.  Stiles  was  merely  an  employe  of  the  Board,  and  not  a 
member.  At  a  meeting  held  this  morning  the  Directors 
instructed  me  to  draw  up  a  series  of  resolutions,  which 
will  be  presented  to  the  Call  Board  at  two  o'clock  to- 
morrow." 

The  woman's  statements  to  various  interviewers  have 
been  framed  with  a  great  deal  of  intelligence  and  craft,  in 
spite  of  her  apparent  deep  feeling;  but  her  assertion  that 
she  had  no  deliberately-formed  purpose  of  murdering  Stiles 
is  not  generally  credited.  The  dead  man,  though  leading  a 
fast  and  dissolute  life  outside  of  business  hours,  was  by  no 
means  a  drunkard.  He  was  in  receipt  of  a  salary  of  $5,000 
per  year  from  the  Call  Board,  where  his  services  as  caller 
were  deemed  indispensable.  He  had  hosts  of  friends  and 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  57 

no  enemies,  and  the  feeling  among  even  the  sober  commer- 
cial men  who  knew  and  liked  him  is  that,  while  his  sad  end 
was  not  surprising,  he  was  nevertheless  the  victim  of  a  foul 
and  deliberate  murder. 

AT   THE   MORGUE. 

The  remains  were  placed  in  the  same  ice-chest,  on  the 
same  spot,  by  the  same  undertaker,  and  will  be  hauled  to 
the  same  depot,  in  the  same  hearse,  as  was  the  body  of 
Stiles'  father,  Gen.  Elias  B.  Stiles,  on  Aug.  29,  last  year. 
Around  the  dead  body  the  scene  was  a  peculiar  one,  and 
lasted  from  early  morning  until  late  at  night.  At  a  season- 
able hour,  the  uncle  of  the  dead  man,  R.  D.  Stiles,  of  No. 
2,719  Indiana  avenue,  came  to  the  spot,  and  later  returned, 
accompanied  by  Eugene  Stiles,  a  brother  of  Charles,  who 
worked  with  him  on  the  call  boacd.  The  latter,  a  young 
man,  not  quite  21  years  of  age,  cried  bitterly,  and  was 
entirely  broken  down.  His  grief  was  so  thoroughly  sincere 
and  his  reference  to  "  What  will  mother  say  ?  "  so  touching, 
that  for  a  few  moments  the  boy  was  left  alone  with  his  tears 
and  the  corpse  of  his  brother. 

During  the  hours  between  noon  and  night  the  b  )dy  lay 
in  a  large  ice-box,  the  face  only  being  visible  through  a 
glass  plate  when  a  wooden  lid  was  raised.  The  features 
were  natural,  save  a  line  of  scratches  extending  from  the 
roots  of  the  hair,  at  the  left  side  of  the  forehead,  down  to 
the  cheek-bone,  with  a  particularly  vicious  "  dig  "  along  the 
nose.  On  the  left  temple,  also,  there  was  an  abrasion  and 
lump,  which  were  probably  caused  by  the  fall  in  the  hall- 
way after  the  shooting.  Further  than  these  there  was  not 
a  mark  on  the  body,  so  the  undertaker  stated,  save  the 
bullet-wound  through  the  left  arm  and  the  hole  over  the 
heart.  As  to  the  time  when  he  thought  the  scratches  on 
the  face  were  made,  the  undertaker  asserted  that  they  un- 


58  STUELA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

doubtedly  were  "  plowed "  on  Sunday,  during  the  alleged 
trouble  at  Downing's.  He  gave  as  a  reason  for  this  belief 
that  he  assisted  in  taking  care  of  the  corpse  an  hour  after 
it  was  brought  to  his  place  in  the  patrol-wagon,  and  there 
was  then  no  blood  on  the  face.  He  also  noticed  that  a 
film  had  formed  over  the  scratches,  which  could  not  have 
been  the  case  if  they  had  been  recent.  He  further  ex- 
pressed the  opinion,  from  the  appearance  of  the  body  and 
the  amount  of  blood  evidently  lost,  that  the  autopsy  would 
develop  the  fact  that  the  main  artery  of  the  heart  was 
severed,  and  that  death,  therefore,  must  have  been  almost 
instantaneous. 

Owing  to  the  large  number  of  inquests  made  necessary 
by  the  tragic  events  of  Saturday  night  and  Sunday,  the 
coroner  found  it  impossible,  with  all  the  assistance  at  his 
command,  to  reach  even  the  post  mortem  yesterday.  This 
will  be  held  this  morning  at  10  o'clock,  and  a  hearing  of 
testimony  at  2  o'clock.  In  the  meantime  the  body  will 
remain  in  its  present  place. 

All  day  long  a  ceaseless  stream  of  visitors  poured  down 
into  the  basement  of  the  Harrison  street  station  and  filed 
up  to  the  cell  of  the  heroine  of  the  tragedy.  A  reporter 
for  the  Times  had  to  be  locked  in  with  the  woman  in  order 
to  interview  her  without  interruption.  Members  of  the 
demi-monde  kissed  the  handsome  Italian  through  the  bars, 
and  sent  her  heaps  of  fruit,  flowers,  and  soft  robes  upon 
which  to  rest.  Justice  Wallace  ran  down  stairs,  peeped  in, 
and  offered  some  gratuitous  advice.  Men  from  the  Board  of 
Trade  looked  in  in  open-mouthed  wonder  at  the  girl  who 
had  "  called  "  Charlie  and  beaten  him  at  the  game  of  life 
and  death.  Ex-Commissioner  Coburn  was  among  the  first 
to  rush  down.  "  Move  out  of  the  way,"  he  said  sternly  to 
the  hungry  reporters,  who  were  hovering  about.  "  I  want 
to  speak  with  her."  And  then,  in  a  tender  and  confidential 


STURLA-ST1LES   TRAGEDY.  59 

manner,   he  approached    the   prisoner,   addressd    her    as 
"  Effie,"  and  carried  on  a  conversation  with  her  in  whispers. 

THE  POST-MORTEM   AND   INQUEST. 

Dr.  T.  J.  Bluthardt,  County  Physician,  and  Dr.  Joseph 
Krost,  his  assistant,  made  a  post-mortem  examination  of 
the  body  of  Charles  Stiles,  at  the  morgue,  yesterday  morn- 
ing. Their  report  was  that  they  found  the  two  gun-shot 
wounds  in  the  body — one  in  the  left  arm  and  the  other  in 
the  chest,  both  evidently  made  by  the  same  ball,  as,  when 
the  arm  was  laid  against  the  body,  the  wounds  correspond- 
ed exactly.  The  bullet  entered  the  arm  between  the 
anterior  and  lateral  surfaces,  passed  through  it,  entered  the 
chest  about  two  inches  in  a  straight  line  to  the  left  of  the 
left  nipple,  passed  between  the  fifth  and  sixth  ribs,  passed 
through  a  portion  of  the  lower  lobe  of  the  left  lung,  enter- 
ed the  pericardium  and  passed  through  the  apex  of  the 
heart,  opening  the  left  ventricle,  then  continued  downward 
through  the  diaphragm  and  through  the  aesophegal  end  of 
the  stomach  and  lodged  against  the  spinal  column,  between 
the  eleventh  and  twelfth  dorsal  vertebrae.  There  were  no 
other  marks  of  violence  upon  him,  and  death  resulted  from 
hemorrhage,  caused  by  the  bullet  wounds. 

Coroner  Matson  arrived  at  the  morgue  at  11  o'clock, 
but  a  jury  was  not  impaneled  until  1  o'clock.  A  num- 
ber of  women  of  the  class  to  which  the  Sturla  woman 
belonged  came  to  the  morgue  during  the  morning  to  see 
the  body,  but  their  curiosity  was  not  gratified.  The  dead 
man's  brother,  Eugene,  and  his  uncle,  Richard  Stiles,  were 
at  the  morgue  all  the  morning.  At  noon  Judge  John  V. 
Eustice,  of  Dixon,  the  present  circuit  judge  at  that  place, 
and  formerly  the  business  partner  of  E.  B.  Stiles,  the 
father  of  Charles,  arrived  at  noon,  and  went  to  view  the 
body.  To  a  reporter  for  the  Times  he  said  that  every  in- 


60  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

sinuation  that  Charlie's  mother  was  at  all  responsible  or  to 
blame  for  the  life  he  led  was  untrue.  Her  influence  over 
him  had  always  been  for  good.  He  had  inherited  an  irre- 
sistible gambling  tendency  from  his  father,  and  this  had 
brought  him  into  trouble. 

At  1  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  jury  was  impaneled,  con- 
sisting of  Thomas  J.  Wells,  foreman  ;  L.  H.  Wilson,  James 
A.  Philips,  C.  S.  Squiers,  Thomas  F.  Swan,  and  George  B. 
Perham.  The  jury  viewed  the  body  of  the  deceased,  and 
the  Palmer  house  employes  and  the  officer  who  arrested 
Madeline  identified  the  body,  when  the  inquest  was  ad- 
journed to  the  Harrison  street  police  station.  In  the 
patrolmen's  room  the  coroner's  jury  and  witnesses  were 
seated,  when  the  fair  prisoner,  accompanied  by  her  attor- 
ney, A.  S.  Trude,  came  in.  She  was  dressed  in  black  silk 
and  wore  a  black  hat,  with  a  large  black  plume,  and  black 
crepe  veil.  She  was  very  quiet  during  the  examination 
and  showed  but  little  interest  in  anything  said  by  the  wit- 
nesses. Her  large  black  eyes  looked  heavy,  as  if  she  had 
been  long  without  sleep — almost  as  if  she  were  under  the 
influence  of  some  narcotic.  The  eyelids  were  nevtr  fully 
opened  nor  closed,  but  were  never  perfectly  still.  Her 
black  hair  was  banged  over  the  forehead  and  bandolined  at 
the  sides. 

Dr.  Joseph  Krost,  assistant  county  physician,  was  the 
first  witness.  He  gave  the  result  of  the  post-mortem  ex- 
amination. Frank  A.  Livingston,  clerk  at  the  Palmer 
house,  testified  that  he  was  in  the  hotel  office  when  a  bell- 
boy came  down  and  said  there  was  a  man  shot  in  the  sixth 
floor  hall.  It  was  about  ten  minutes  to  7  o'clock,  Monday 
morning.  He  went  up  and  found  Mr.  Stiles  lying  in  the 
center  of  the  hall,  on  the  floor,  on  his  back,  about  ten  feet 
from  the  door  of  his  room — No.  661.  He  saw  the  prisoner 
kneeling  by  his  side.  He  saw  Stiles  gasp  three  or  four 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  61 

times,  and  thought  he  was  dead.  Then  he  went  down  and 
signaled  for  the  patrol  wagon.  There  were  several  gentle- 
men who  had  rooms  near  the  place,  who  were  in  the  hall, 
and  Quelch,  who  went  up  with  the  witness,  was  there.  He 
heard  Quelch  say:  "  He's  dead,"  and  the  lady  said  :  "Yes, 
I've  shot  him."  In  reply  to  a  question  by  Mr.  Trude,  the 
witness  said  as  they  were  about  to  take  the  body  away  the 
lady  lifted  the  sheet  and  kissed  the  dead  man's  face  once. 
She  staid  with  the  body  until  it  was  taken  away,  and  then 
followed  it.  Her  face  was  calm  and  showed  neither  anger 
nor  hatred;  it  had  no  particular  expression. 

Frank  A.  Brobst,  a  Palmer  house  clerk,  said  that  when 
Mr.  Livingston  told  him  there  was  a  man  shot,  he  rang  for 
the  patrol-wagon,  and,  waiting  till  it  came,  took  the  officers 
up  to  Mr.  Stiles'  room.  He  described  the  position  of  the 
body  as  the  previous  witness  had.  The  prisoner  was  then 
leaning  against  the  wall  and  at  first  said  nothing  ;  then  she 
spoke  to  the  officer,  and  she,  the  witness,  and  the  officer 
went  into  room  No.  661,  which  was  Mr.  Stiles'  room.  She 
said  either  to  the  witness  or  to  the  officer  :  "  There  is  the 
revolver  on  the  floor."  The  witness  picked  it  up  and  gave 
it  to  the  officer.  After  that  the  body  was  put  on  a  stretcher 
and  carried  down  by  the  baggage  elevator,  while  the  pris- 
oner, the  officer,  and  the  witness  went  down  together  in 
the  passenger  elevator.  The  officer  was  talking  to  her  in 
the  hall  and  in  the  elevator,  and  the  witness  heard  her  say 
to  him  :  "  He  had  no  business  to  try  and  put  me  out  of 
the  room."  Mr.  Trude  asked  if  the  witness  had  looked  in 
the  room  since  to  see  if  there  was  any  money  or  pocket- 
book  lying  on  the  floor.  Witness  said  there  was  nothing 
on  the  floor  but  a  lady's  glove.  Witness  had  charge  of  the 
room  and  had  locked  it.  Scrub  women  had  been  called  in 
to  clean  up  the  blood,  and  he  had  been  with  them.  He  had 
also  gone  up  with  Eugene  Stiles,  who  went  after  clean 


62  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

clothes.  He  had  been  with  him  all  the  time.  Mr.  Stanley 
had  gone  up  in  the  afternoon  with  some  one  else  to  get 
clean  clothes.  Other  persons  might  have  gone  in,  as  the 
key  was  in  the  office. 

Benjamin  P.  Quelch,  head  bell-boy  at  the  Palmer  house, 
gave  the  same  testimony  as  the  preceding  witnesses. 

William  Bohan,  signal  sergeant  of  the  Central  Police 
Patrol,  said  he  was  called  to  the  Palmer  house  about  G  :45 
o'clock  Monday  morning  ;  was  informed  that  a  man  had 
been  shot ;  went  up  stairs  and  found  Stiles  lying  on  the 
floor  with  a  sheet  oyer  him.  Saw  the  prisoner  there.  Mr. 
Howe  said  to  him  :  "Take  this  woman  in  charge;  she  has 
shot  this  man."  Witness  told  her  she  was  a  cool-appearing 
person.  He  did  not  remember  her  answer.  They  went  in- 
to the  bedroom  and  Brobst  picked  up  the  revolver.  Wit- 
ness asked  her  if  she  admitted  that  was  the  revolver  with 
which  she  shot  the  man,  and  she  admitted  that  it  was. 
Witness  here  exhibited  the  revolver  and  the  two  cartridges 
which  he  took  from  it.  The<  prisoner  told  witness-  about 
Stiles  taking  her  by  the  throat  to  put  her  out  of  the  room. 
She  said  she  came  to  kiss  him  "good-bye,"  and  he  caught 
her  by  the  throat.  She  said  they  went  out  to  Downing's 
the  night  before  and  had  supper,  and  he  left  her  to  come 
home  alone.  She  met  a  boy,  who  went  with  her  to  the 
"  dummy."  She  spoke  of  Charlie  being  on  the  board  of 
trade  and  losing  a  great  deal  of  her  money.  She  did  not 
know  how  far  out  Downing's  was,  nor  where  it  was,  nor 
what  road  she  came  in  on. 

One  of  the  jurymen  asked  the  witness  if  she  said  any- 
thing about  the  kind  of  a  night  it  was.  The  witness  heard 
her  say  that  it  was  dark,  rainy,  and  muddy.  She  said  they 
had  had  some  difficulty  about  his  spending  her  money.  Be- 
fore the  body  was  removed  from  the  hotel  she  took  the 
sheet  off  the  face  and  kissed  the  dead  man.  Witness  asked 


BTURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  63 

her  if  she  was  sorry,  and  she  said  it  was  no  use  to  be 
sorry  then,  for  it  was  done. 

Mr.  Trude  asked  if  she  showed  witness  the  marks  on  her 
throat  where  Stiles  had  choked  her,  and  if  the  marks  were 
fresh.  The  witness  answered  "yes." 

Mr.  Trude  asked  if  she  didn't  tell  him  that  Charlie  Stiles 
wouldn't  let  her  live  with  him  or  without  him,  and  that  he 
went  with  her  to  get  her  money  and  use  her,  and  that  she 
had  resolved  to  go  to  him  and  give  him  all  the  money  she 
had,  and  then  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  him  .again. 
The  witness  said  that  she  so  told  him.  In  reply  to  another 
question  the  witness  said  that  she  showed  him  the  bottom 
of  her  dress  covered  with  mud,  and  told  him  about  how 
she  had  caused  Stiles  to  be  arrested  once  for  abusing 
her. 

Coroner  Matson  asked  the  prisoner  if  she  had  any  state- 
ment to  make. 

"No,  sir,  I  have  no  statement  to  make;  I  am  acting 
under  the  advice  of  my  attorney,  Mr.  Trude,  and  have 
nothing  to  say." 

The  coroner  asked  her  name,  and  Mr.  Trude  said  that 
she  declined  to  say  anything.  He  then  immediately  asked 
her  how  long  she  had  known  Stiles,  and  she  answered  "  six 
years."  He  asked  whether  she  had  not  been  giving  him 
money,  and  she  said  "yes."  The  coroner  then  objected,  and 
Mr.  Trude  said  that  was  all.  The  coroner  told  the  jury 
that  if  they  found  that  she  killed  the  man  it  would  be 
proper  to  hold  her  to  the  grand  jury.  The  jury  were  then 
left  alone  and  in  ten  minutes  had  prepared  the  following 
verdict: 

We  find  that  the  said  Charles  Stiles  came  to  his  death  on 
the  10th  day  of  July,  A.  D.  1882,  in  the  hall  on  the  sixth 
floor,  in  front  of  room  No.  6G1,  of  the  Palmer  house,  from 
hemorrhage  and  shock,  resulting  from  a  wound  in  the  left 


64  BTURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

side  of  the  body  and  through  the  heart,  made  by  a  bullet 
fired  from  a  revolver  in  the  hand  of  Madeline  Stiles,  or 
known  as  such.  We.  the  jury,  therefore,  recommend  that 
the  said  Madeline  Stiles  be  held  in  custody  to  await  the 
action  of  the  grand  jury  of  Cook  county. 

Mr.  Starkey,  stenographer  for  the  state's  attorney, 
was  present  during  the  inquest,  and  took  the  testimony. 

After  the  inquest  Madeline  went  back  to  her  cell  in  the 
station-house  with  a  female  friend,  who  had  come  in  while 
the  examination  was  going  on.  She  remained  there  during 
the  night,  and  will  be  transferred  to  the  county  jail  to-day. 
.The  verdict  of  the  jury  will  keep  her  confined  there  until 
the  grand  jury  either  indicts  or  fails  to  find  a  bill  against 
her,  unless  application  is  made  to  a  judge  of  the  criminal 
court  that  she  be  admitted  to  bail.  Madeline  says  that  in 
her  last  interview  with  Stiles  she  threw  at  him  her  pocket- 
book,  containing  all  the  money  she  had  left.  The  pocket- 
book  has  not  yet  been  found. 

The  remains  of  Charles  Stiles  were  shipped  by  the 
Northwestern  railway  to  Dixon  for  interment  in  the  after- 
noon. The  coffin  reached  the  depot  quite  late,  and  was 
placed  on  board  the  3 :45  train.  The  brother  of  the  deceas- 
ed and  only  a  few  friends  were  present.  The  coffin,  covered 
with  black  broadcloth,  with  silver  mountings,  carried  a  sil- 
ver plate  bearing  the  simple  inscription  : 
Died  July  10,  1882, 

Charles  Stiles, 
Aged    32    Years. 

THE   MANTLE   OF  CHARITY. 

The  Call  Board  yesterday  afternoon  adopted  the  follow- 
ing preamble  and  resolutions  relative  to  the  death  of 
Charles  Stiles 

Having  learned  with  deep  regret  of  the  tragic  death  of 


STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  65 

Our  late  caller,  Charles  Stiles,  we  desire  to  cast  the  mantle 
of  charity  over  the  past,  and  leave  to  silence  what  we  can 
not  commend;  and, 

WHEREAS,  "We  wish  to  recognize  his  pre-eminent  ability 
and  usefulness  in  the  profession  he  had  chosen;  to  express 
our  sense  of  the  heavy  blow  we  receive  in  his  loss; 

Resolved,  That  the  members  of  the  Board  deeply  deplore 
his  untimely  death,  and  sincerely  sympathize  with  the 
heart-stricken  mother  and  brothers  of  the  deceased. 

Resolved,  That  the  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  records 
of  this  association,  and  that  a  copy  be  forwarded  to  the 
bereaved  family. 

At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Owl  Club  the  following  reso- 
lutions were  unanimously  adopted : 

WHEREAS,  That  in  the  death  of  Charles  Stiles  we  have 
lost  a  friend  who  had  endeared  himself  to  us  not  only  by 
brilliant  and  fascinating  mental  gifts,  but  by  conduct  which 
in  all  his  relations  to  us  we  found  amiable,  courteous,  and 
honorable;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  it  is  with  sincere  and  genuine  grief  that 
we  place  on  the  records  of  the  Owl  Club  this  expression  of 
sorrow  at  parting  with  a  comrade  of  whom  each  one  of  us 
can  remember  acts  of  unusual  generosity  and  self-sacrifi- 
cing friendship. 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  our  sympathy  to  his  relatives, 
and  especially  to  his  mother,  the  depth  of  whose  grief  we 
can  partly  appreciate  from  knowing  what  all  of  his  friends 
who  knew  him  well  must  have  remarked,  the  exceptional 
and  devoted  affection  and  respect  which  he  bore  her. 

The  following  letter  has  been  sent  to  Mrs.  Stiles: 

CHICAGO,   July    11. — Mrs.    Stiles — Dear   Madame:    The 

committee   appointed  by  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 

Order  of  Elks  to  attend  the  remains  of  your  son  from  here 

to  Dixion,  111.,  and  to  further  extend  to  yourself  and  your 

5 


66  STURLA-ST1LES  TRAGEDY. 

family  the  heartfelt  sympathy  of  the  entire  order  at  the 
terrible  manner  in  which  your  son  met  his  death,  were  late 
in  arriving  at  the  depot  and  unfortunately  missed  the  train. 
We  are  empowered  to  represent  the  order  and  to  extend  to 
you  any  assistance  in  the  power  of  the  committee.  If  not 
too  late,  advise  us  promptly  if  we  can  be  of  any  service  to 
yourself  and  family  in  this  dire  extremity.  We  sincerely 
mourn  the  loss  of  our  late  brother.  He  was  respected  and 
loved  by  all.  May  he  rest  in  peace.  Very  respectfully, 

JOSEPH  MACKIN, 
JOHN  WALPOLE, 
HENRY  S.  BARNETTE, 
LEE  WILSON, 
EDWARD  LAKE, 

Committee. 

THE  OTHER   MEN   IN   THE  CASE. 

The  purcnase  by  the  girl,  Sunday  night,  or  rather  at  an 
early  hour  Monday  morning,  of  the  revolver  with  which 
she  sent  Stiles'  soul  into  eternity,  proved  an  important  clew 
to  the  systematic  manner  in  which  she  apparently  premedi- 
tated the  deed,  as  well  as  suggested  that  she  was  urged  on 
by  some  one,  possibly  a  rival  of  her  victim.  The  late  hour, 
Monday  night,  at  which  this  particular  thread  of  the  case 
was  reached,  precluded  a  very  careful  following  up  of  the 
girl's  movements  from  the  time  she  reached  the  corner  of 
Madison  and  Clark  streets,  a  few  minutes  after  11  o'clock, 
on  her  return  from  Sunnyside,  until  she  called  Mrs.  Harvey, 
her  landlady  at  No.  291  Wabash  avenue,  into  the  hall  of  the 
building,  after  1  o'clock,  and  related  her  troubles  of  the 
previous  few  hours. 

Two  young  men,  one  of  whom  knows  the  girl,  noticed 
her  walking  south  on  State  street,  between  Madison  and 
Jackson  streets,  at  a  brisk  rate,  after  she  had  left  the  street 


STDBLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  67 

cars.  This  was  about  fifteen  minutes  after  11  o'clock.  The 
same  persons  also  noticed  that  she  turned  west  on  Jackson 
street,  and  entered  the  building  at  the  southwest  corner. 
At  that  time  she  carried  a  bundle  wrapped  up  in  a  news- 
paper, and  was  protected  from  the  storm  by  a  waterpoof 
cloak  and  hood.  Less  than  thirty  minutes  after,  she  made 
her  appearance  at  the  pawnbroker's  establishment,  in  com- 
pany with  a  boy,  whom  she  said  she  had  paid  to  accompany 
her  from  the  corner  of  Van  Buren  and  State  streets,  and  a 
young  man  supposed  to  be  an  inmate  of  the  building  at  the 
corner  of  State  and  Jackson  streets.  The  prisoner  refuses 
to  reveal  the  identity  of  this  companion,  and,  in  referring 
to  her  movements  with  him,  is  contradictory  and  ill  at  ease. 
Mrs.  Joacquin,  proprietress  of  the  pawnshop,  says  that  she 
conducted  negotiations  for  the  revolver  and  showed  her 
how  to  handle  it.  "  I'll  never  be  able  to  fire  this  thing," 
said  the  girl,  as  she  handled  the  revolver,  "  without  shoot- 
ing myself."  Then  her  male  companion  showed  her  how 
to  hold  it,  and,  handing  it  back,  instructed  her  to  go 
through  the  motions  of  firing,  which  she  did,  evidently  to 
her  own  satisfaction.  At  the  request  of  the  man,  Mrs. 
Joacquin  handed  over  four  or  five  cartridges,  which  were 
placed  in  the  chambers  of  the  weapon.  In  explanation  of 
this  untimely  proceeding,  the  pair  stated  that  they  con- 
templated a  trip  to  South  Chicago,  and  wished  to  go  pre- 
pared. Leaving  the  store,  the  two  proceeded  north  on 
State  street,  but  the  girl  shortly  afterward  returned  and 
said  she  had  an  elegant  silk  dress  for  sale  or  to  pawn.  A 
young  man,  who  formerly  occupied  a  room  above  the  pawn- 
broker's establishment,  this  time  entered  with  her,  and  at 
her  solicitation,  he  states,  accompanied  her  to  the  room  at 
No.  291  Wabash  avenue,  where  she  got  the  dress  and  re- 
turned again  to  the  store.  It  was  then  after  1  o'clock  Mon- 
day morning.  Where  ehe  went  after  leaving  the  pawnshop 


68  STTJRLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

the  last  time  is  not  known,  as  she  refused  the  company  of 
her  last  escort,  who  evinced  a  very  earnest  desire  not  to  be 
identified  with  the  present  case. 

JAILED THERESSA  STURLA  WAS  SURRENDERED  TO  THE  SHERIFF  YES- 
TERDAY, FOR  A  LITTLE  WHILE. 

Theressa  Sturla,  alias  Madeline  Stiles,  having  been  kept 
over  night  at  the  Armory,  was  taken  to  jail  yesterday.  It 
was  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  a  rapidly  driven  hack 
was  stopped  at  the  nearest  point  to  the  jail  steps,  and  a 
moment  later  the  inmates  of  the  vehicle  descended.  The 
party  consisted  of  police  officer  William  Bohan,  the  pris- 
oner, the  keeper  of  the  Clark  street  bagnio,  whose  respect- 
able patrons  are  putting  up  for  the  defense,  and  the  neat- 
handed  mulatto  maidservant  who  waited  on  the  prisoner 
while  she  was  at  the  Armory.  The  prisoner  was  dressed  in 
the  same  somber  garments  she  wore  at  the  trial,  the  upper 
part  of  her  form,  from  her  head  to  her  waist,  being 
shrouded  in  crepe. 

She  looked  thin,  and  her  swarthy  face  was  pale,  bat  the 
eyes  were  as  luminous  as  ever.  The  maid  was  loaded  down 
with  bundles  and  parcels.  The  quartet  on  entering  the 
grated  door  separated.  The  officer's  work  was  done  when 
he  had  handed  over  his  charge.  The  three  women  were 
shown  to  the  female  quarters,  whence  two  of  them,  the 
landlady  and  the  maid,  emerged  after  a  brief  stay 

Madeline  got  extra  good  quarters,  on  the  floor  above  the 
second  tier  in  the  female  department,  being  alone,  and 
further  reveling  in  the  luxury  of  a  camp-bedstead.  She 
was  seen,  but  had  nothing  to  say,  excepting  that  she  had 
been  nearly  "  talked  to  death,"  probably  as  truthful  a  re- 
mark as  she  has  made  since  she  has  come  into  such  unsavory 
notoriety.  By  the  way,  the  last  murderess  that  occupied 
these  special  quarters  was  A  la  Robert,  who  killed  Weber 


BTURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  69 

Sympathy  put  her  there,  for  she  had  suffered  and  was 
crazed  with  grief  at  the  tragic  death  of  her  young  son.  Out- 
side of  these  two  the  common  cell  has  been  plenty  good 
enough  for  the  ordinary  herd. 

Some  people  who  profess  to  know,  say  that  the  woman 
will  be  allowed  to  remain  some  weeks  behind  the  bars,  to  let 
the  effacing  hand  of  time  smooth  away  the  rough  edges  of 
the  tragedy;  but  this  is  looked  upon  as  improbable,  for 
efforts  looking  toward  release  on  bail  by  means  of  a  writ  of 
habeas  corpus  have  already  been  made. 

TAKEN   TO   THE  JAIL. 

Madeline  Stiles  was  taken  to  the  county  jail  from  the 
Harrison  street  police  station  at  3  o'clock  yesterday  after- 
noon. Tom  Barrett  and  "  Saul,"  the  lock-up  keepers,  ex- 
pressed themselves  as  delighted  with  the  change.  They 
have  grown  tired  of  the  constant  stream  of  silk-attired  fe- 
males who  had  come  to  visit  her.  Saul  says  it  was  a  "  holy 
terror  "  to  him  to  see  these  women  "  take  on  "  about  Made- 
line. They  never  stopped  coming  day  or  night.  Carrie 
Watson  was  the  last  visitor,  and  remained  with  the  pris- 
oner until  she  was  transferred.  An  elegant  carriage  was 
the  vehicle  in  which  Madeline  and  Sergt.  Bohan  made  the 
journey  to  the  jail,  whither  the  Watson  accompanied  them 
in  her  own  turnout.  Arriving  at  the  jail  at  half-past  3 
o'clock,  the  prisoner  was  at  once  ushered  up-stairs  into  the 
third  tier  of  the  woman's  department,  where  she  will  re- 
main for  the  present.  Half  an  hour  after  her  arrival  she 
was  seen  reclining  on  a  lounge  in  the  corridor,  surrounded 
by  a  bevy  of  curious  and  sentimental  female  visitors,  whom 
Jailor  Folz  had  not  the  nerve  to  refuse  admittance.  As  she 
reclined  wearily  on  the  couch,  resting  her  sallow  cheek  on 
her  hand,  she  appeared  listless  and  worn,  and  her  restless 
eyes  took  no  notice  of  the  morbid,  middle-aged  females, 


70  STUBLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

who  were  old  enough  to  have  some  feeling,  but  who  sat  and 
stared  stolidly,  and  sighed  significantly,  and  chewed  gum. 
The  prisoner  excused  herself  from  talking,  saying  that  she 
was  just  beginning  to  feel  the  effects  of  the  strain  upon  her 
nerves,  and  that  she  was  utterly  broken  down  by  the  inces- 
sant crowd  who  had  tormented  her  by  endeavors  to  obtain 
interviews  ever  since  she  arrived  at  the  station,  some  of 
them  treating  her  more  like  a  wild  animal  than  like  a 
woman.  She  expressed  herself  as  pleased  at  the  change 
from  the  station  to  the  jail,  where  she  hoped  to  obtain  some 
rest.  The  reporter  humanely  took  the  hint  and  left,  but 
the  remorseless  sight-seers  of  her  own  sex  remained  in  evi- 
dent enjoyment  of  the  situation. 

SISTERS   IN   SIN. 

The  fallen  angels  on  the  "  Levee  "  are  making  a  heroine 
of  the  murderess  Madeline.  The  landlady  of  the  South 
Clark  street  bagnio  where  the  girl  last  lived  has  undertaken 
to  raise  a  fund  for  her  benefit.  She  has  headed  the  list 
with  a  subscription  for  $500,  and  up  to  last  night  about  $500 
additional  had  been  pledged.  An  effort  is  soon  to  be  made 
to  secure  the  prisoner's  release  on  bail,  a  friend  having  sig- 
nified a  willingness  to  go  on  her  bond  for  any  reasonable 
amount. 

Madeline's  effects  and  a  trunk  belonging  to  Stiles  were 
removed  from  Wabash  avenue  to  the  place  on  South  Clark 
street  above  referred  to,  yesterday.  The  locks  had  been 
pried  off  and  the  contents  of  the  trunks  overhauled,  but  so 
far  as  is  known  nothing  excepting  the  correspondence  was 
stolen.  There  was  nothing  in  Madeline's  Saratoga  except- 
ing articles  of  wearing  apparel,  a  few  toilet  pieces,  and  a 
large  and  varied  assortment  of  bibles  and  prayer-books. 
The  killer  was  a  devout  Catholic.  In  Stiles'  trunk  there 
was  little  to  be  seen.  His  entire  wardrobe  was  thrown  in 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY  71 

loosely,  and  a  scant  one  it  was,  too,  for  a  fashionable  man 
about  town,  who  was  supposed  to  have  the  best  of  every- 
thing. It  had  been  "  pawed  over "  and  was  in  confusion 
when  seen  by  the  reporter  last  evening,  and  bad  been  sub- 
jected to  all  sorts  of  unkind  and  cruel  criticism.  The  cover 
and  sides  of  the  trunk  were  covered  with  penciled  memor- 
anda, the  writer  apparently  having  adopted  that  as  the 
easiest  way  to  keep  books.  On  a  page  of  a  book  found  in 
Madeline's  trunk  were  scribbled  the  following  lines  : 

EFFIE  : — My  Own  Darling :  I  love  you  better  than  my 
life  and  the  world  besides.  I  love,  I  love,  I  love  you. 
Come  to  me.  I  lo^e  you.  Don't  stay  away  from  me,  for  I 
love  you.  You  are  my  life  and  I  your  CHARLIE. 

Among  the  demi-monde  the  murder  is  still  the  all-absorb- 
ing theme  of  conversation.  The  women  of  the  town  discuss 
the  details  of  the  tragedy  and  relate  incidents  in  connection 
with  the  lives  of  the  victim  and  his  murderess  with  morbid 
pleasure. 

A   CHANGING   SENTIMENT. 

The  conviction  is  creeping  into  the  minds  of  a  good  many 
people  who  have  carefully  read  her  many  contradictory 
stories,  that  Madeline  is  a  very  rabid  liar.  At  all  favorable 
occasions  she  has  laid  stress  on  the  statement  that  she  paid 
the  bill  of  expenses  at  the  hotel  at  Suunyside  on  the  night 
preceding  the  murder,  while  the  truth  of  the  matter  is  that 
the  bill  remains  unpaid.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Downing,  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  hotel,  and  their  bartender,  who  are  the  only 
persons  in  charge  of  the  business  of  the  concern,  all  testi- 
fied to  the  fact  that  both  parties  had  taken  departure  with- 
out settling  the  bill,  amounting  to  $2.40.  She  has  also  re- 
peatedly assured  the  reporters  that  on  the  morning  of  the 
shooting,  on  entering  her  victim's  roo;u,  she  threw  at  him  a 
purso  containing  $50,  which  has  not  since  been  discovered. 


72  STUBLA-STILES  TRAGEDY 

She  was  in  the  pawn-shop  on  State  street  about  1  o'clock 
that  same  morning,  and  then  made  a  piteous  appeal  for  the 
loan  of  $20  on  her  dress,  assuring  the  person  in  charge  that 
she  needed  the  money  and  hadn't  a  cent  in  the  world.  She 
received  $10  on  her  dress,  and  this  amount  was  found  en 
her  person  after  the  arrest.  In  addition  to  the  very  reason- 
able belief  that  the  girl  has  been  persistently  misrepresent- 
ing the  facts,  it  is  established  that  she  borrowed  some 
change  from  the  person  who  accompanied  her  to  the  pawn 
shop  when  she  first  entered  it  after  her  return  from  Sunny- 
side,  to  make  up  the  amount  necessary  to  pay  for  the  re- 
volver she  had  purchased  with  which  she  murdered  her 
lover.  In  the  early  stages  of  her  trouble,  she  laid  particu- 
lar stress  on  the  statement  that  she  had  carried  the  pistol 
with  which  she  shot  Charlie  for  several  years.  There  are 
many  other  points  advanced  by  the  girl  in  mitigation  of  her 
offense,  that  are  entirely  at  varience  with  the  truth.  Now 
that  the  excitement  attending  the  murder  is  subsiding, 
some  people  are  veering  around  to  the  opinion  that  it  is 
hardly  the  right  thing  to  pamper  the  woman  in  picturing 
the  memory  of  the  dead  man  blacker  than  it  really  is. 

From  the  varied  articles  which  at  this  time  appeared  for 
and  against  the  assasinated  and  the  assassin,  we  have 
clipped  the  following,  leaving  the  reader  to  judge  of  the 
justice  or  injustice  of  the  same. 

KINDRED'S  ESTIMATE. 

The  relatives  of  Charlie  Stiles  are  confident  that  he  was 
endeavoring,  under  the  influence  of  his  mother,  to  get  rid 
of  the  woman  who  shot  him,  and  was  intending  to  settle 
down  in  Dixon  and  lead  a  better  life.  As  a  son  they  say 
he  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  and  he  invested  the  $4,000 
that  he  got  for  his  board  of  trade  membership  in  a  farm 
adjoining  that  of  his  mother,  and  was  making  all  his 


STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  73 

arrangements  to  go  there  to  live.  The  theory  of  his  rela- 
tives is  that  the  woman  understood  this  and  shot  him  for 
that  reason.  That  the  father  of  the  murdered  man  died 
in  the  arms  of  the  woman  is  vigorously  denied,  and  it  is 
stated  that  she  did  not  arrive  at  the  house  until  after  death 
had  occurred.  Mrs.  Stiles  had  been  sent  for,  and  was  with 
her  husband  when  he  died.  As  for  Stiles'  alleged  maltreat- 
ment of  the  woman  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  it  is  replied 
that  he  was  not  with  her  then,  having  been  in  Dixon  from 
Decoration  day  till  July  5.  In  explanation  of  his  letters  to 
her  asking  for  money,  the  relatives  say  that  they  can  prove 
that  she  had  large  amounts  of  his  money,  and  that  he  only 
called  on  her  for  his  own  ;  they  say  they  are  ready  to  pro- 
duce a  witness  whom  Madeliue  told  on  one  occasion  that 
she  had  as  much  as  $7,000  of  Stiles'  money.  Mrs.  Stiles  is 
said  to  be  in  possession  of  various  letters  sent  her  by 
Madeline  threatening  to  kill  her  and  Charlie  and  to  dis- 
grace the  whole  family.  Instead  of  Charlie  pursuing  the 
woman,  they 'say  he  was  trying  to  get  rid  of  her,  and  she 
has  been  hanging  onto  him.  Repeatedly  when  he  has  gone 
to  Dixon  she  has  followed  him  out  there,  and  has  even 
telegraphed  to  Mrs.  Stiles  that  she  was  coming.  She  has, 
as  they  say,  insisted  on  going  to  Mrs.  Stiles'  house,  and 
Charlie  had  to  resort  to  all  sorts  of  devices  to  keep  her 
away  from  his  mother.  Mrs.  Stiles  received  from  her  son 
after  his  death  a  letter  announcing  that  Madeline  had 
promised  to  go  to  Baltimore  in  ten  days,  and  that  then  he 
should  be  rid  of  her  and  should  go  to  Dixon.  The  rela- 
tives also  wish  it  stated  that  several  members  of  the  Owl 
club  intended  to  go  the  funeral,  but  missed  the  train  owing 
to  a  misunderstanding  as  to  the  time  at  which  it  left,  and 
then  telegraphed  to  Dixon  that  if  the  funeral  could  be 
postponed  they  would  be  out  on  a  later  train. 
The  funeral  services  were  held  Wednesday  afternoon  in 


74  STURIA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

the  Methodist  church  at  Dixon,  being  conducted  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Sides,  a  Presbyterian  minister.  They  were  at- 
tended by  a  large  number  of  sympathizing  friends  of  the 
bereaved  family.  The  Owl  club  sent  a  large  floral  cross 
and  crown,  and  the  call  board  sent  a  pillow  of  flowers 
bearing  the  legend  "  At  Rest." 

The  members  of  the  Owl  club  and  the  Elks,  both  of 
which  organizations  Mr.  Stiles  was  a  member,  have  passed 
appropriate  resolutions  on  his  death,  and  have  forwarded 
the  same  to  his  family  at  Dixon. 

"RAMPANT  HARLOTRY." 

To  THE  EDITOR:  There  appeared  in  a  morning  paper, 
July  13,  an  editorial  under  the  above  heading,  on  the 
recent  death  of  a  young  man  at  the  hands  of  a  woman. 
This  is  the  first  article  I  have  seen  which  attacked  the 
woman,  and  it  seems  so  unfair  that  I  feel  called  on  to  enter 
the  lists  in  behalf  of  one  who  can  not  speak  for  herself. 
The  editorial  says  that  since  the  awful  deed  the  fallen 
women  have  come  out  on  the  streets  in  force ;  that  they 
appear  in  bright  colors  and  seem  to  feel  triumphant  over 
the  matter. 

Now  all  this  seems  to  me  very  unjust.  Have  not  these 
women  a  right  to  appear  on  the  streets?  One  would  think 
to  hear  the  remarks  of  men  about  this  class  of  women  that 
the  women  alone  are  guilty  of  sin,  and  all  men  "  sans  peur 
et  sans  reproche."  Why  should  these  women  not  wear 
bright  colors  if  they  want  to  ?  The  men  who  have  sinned 
with  them  do  not  wear  mourning.  I  pity  those  women, 
and  I  am  a  happy  wife ;  but  it  seems .  to  me  the  more  is 
my  compassion — yes,  and  my  love — drawn  out  toward 
those  whom  men  have  set  beyond  the  pale  of  home  and 
sheltered  love.  Toward  those  poor  creatures  my  heart 
goes  out  in  prayer  and  pity,  and  so  does  every  noble 


8TURLA-8TILES   TRAGEDY.  75 

woman 's.  I  tell  you  of  late  years  we  women  nave  been 
thinking,  and  we  are  not  going  to  let  you  men  mold  our 
thoughts  and  opinions  any  more.  You  have  made  us  cold, 
and  hard,  and  suspicious,  and  jealous,  long  enough.  We 
think  for  ourselves  now,  and  we  intend  to  keep  on  doing 
it.  These  words  of  mine  will  be  echoed  in  the  heart  of 
every  grand  woman  that  reads  them,  and  the  gathering  of 
waters  of  years  will  pour  out  in  a  tide  that  will  make  a 
crevasse  in  public  opinion  on  all  subjects  pertaining  to 
woman.  God  forgive  me  if  I  talk  in  an  unchristian  tone, 
but  it  seems  to  me  that  that  young  woman  did  the  natural, 
if  not  the  right,  thing  when  she  shot  her  oppressor.  Think 
of  it !  That  a  man  should  bet  and  pay  bills  on  the  earn- 
ings of  a  woman's  body !  Isn't  it  horrible  ?  And  his  rela- 
tives too ;  his  uncle,  and  his  brothers,  for  so  she  states,  if 
the  reporters  are  correct  in  the  printed  accoimts.  It  is  a 
depth  of  degradation  almost  incomprehensible.  And  that 
she  should,  like  George  Eliot's  Gwendoline,  have  grown  so 
to  loathe  her  vampire  leech  as  at  last  in  a  time  of  frenzy  to 
have  gone  and  taken  his  life,  and  rid  herself  of  him,  is  it 
to  be  .wondered  at  ? 

If  Madeline  Stiles  were  to  be  tried  before  a  jury  of  her 
peers,  a  jury  of  women,  we  would  not  be  long  in  render- 
ing our  verdict;  only  I  think  we  would  desire,  with  femi- 
nine irrelevancy  to  tack  on  to  our  verdict  some  kind  of  a 
provision  for  her. 

I  want  to  call  particular  attention  to  the  closing  para- 
graph in  this  editorial  to  which  I  refer.  After  citing  the 
various  indications  of  a  sp'irit  of  triumph  among  the  demi- 
monde, the  writer  attempts  to  contrast  Madeline  Stiles  with 
the  mother  of  the  deceased,  in  these  pathetic  sentences  : 
"  Down  in  a  town  by  a  quiet  river  there  is  an  old  woman 
the  light  of  whose  life  has  gone  out,  wiiose  fountains  of  tears 
have  run  themselves  dry,  and  who  at  the  moment  when  the 


76  8TUKLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

champagne  is  gurgling  most  musically,  and  when  the  con- 
gratulations at  the  jail  are  the  most  effusive  and  the  most 
gushing,  hears  the  horrible  fall  of  clods  which  cover  the 
last  hope  of  her  exhausted  life." 

Well,  we  are  a  sentimental  people,  we  Americans  ;  but 
that  last  gush  does  astonish  me  a  little.  That  the  mother 
of  a  man  like  Stiles  should  be  breaking  her  heart  over  the 
very  end  she  ought  to  have  expected,  is  somewhat  puzzling. 
Why  did  she  not  raise  him  better  ?  Why  were  these  tears 
not  shed  over  his  sinning  life  instead  of  his,  as  it  seems  to 
an  outsider,  very  fitting  end  ?  The  mothers  of  such  men 
are  often  the  explanation  of  them.  I  hope  it  is  not  so  in 
this  case,  and  the  fact  that  the  father  died  in  the  woman 
Stiles'  house,  and,  as  she  states,  "in  her  arms,"  would  seem 
to  convey  the  idea  that  the  wife  and  mother,  who  is  por- 
trayed as  having  wept  the  fountain  of  tears  dry,  has  had 
many  years  of  sorrow  in  which  to  do  it.  I  hope  that  that 
father  was  the  only  parent  who  mistrusted  the  son.  I  hope 
that  the  wife,  deserted  for  a  house  of  ill-repute,  is  better, 
and  grander,  and  nobler  than  these  dreadful  male  members 
of  her  family.  God  pity  her  if  she  is  not.  I  am  sorry  for 
these  two  blighted,  miserable  women,  made  miserable  by 
wicked  men.  But  why  did  not  that  mother  influence  her 
son  to  a  better  life  ?  If  he  had  been  mine  it  seems  to  me  I 
would  have  wearied  heaven  with  petitions,  I  would  have 
knelt  at  his  feet,  I'd  have  followed  him  day  and  night,  I'd 
have  gone  to  the  woman,  and  got  them  married,  and  tried 
to  make  her  good  too.  Oh,  I  could  not  let  matters  drift  on 
so  to  an  awful  conclusion  like  this.  How  can  mothers  sit 
so  still,  when  their  sons  are  going  down  to  death  and  des- 
truction? 

And  now  that  poor  young  woman,  with  the  stain  of  mur- 
der on  her  soul,  albeit  driven  or  tempted  to  it  by  the  cruel 
and  brutal  usage  she  received,  '  Think  of  what  her  life  is  I 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY  77 

There  is  a  chance  for  the  mother  of  young  Stiles.  If 
women  were  heroines,  and  she  was  grand  in  her  being  and 
development,  as  I  could  imagine  seme  women,  would  it  not 
be  the  only  beautiful  solution  to  such  a  tragedy,  if  she  would 
come  and  help  the  poor  girl  now  in  her  trouble,  and  say  : 
"  I  know,  poor  child,  that  you  killed  my  son  in  a  moment 
of  passion,  but  I  regard  you  as  his  wife,  notwithstanding!" 
and  if  she  would  take  her  in  her  arms,  and  to  her  heart,  and 
her  home,  and  the  two  women  would  follow  a  path  of 
righteousness  together ! 

Doubtless  with  all  his  sin  the  young  man  had  some  lov- 
able traits,  or  the  woman  would  have  cast  him  off  long  ago. 
She  doubtless  loved  him,  and  so  did  the  mother  in  a  cold 
kind  of  way,  perhaps,  for  she  seems  to  have  let  him  go  his 
own  gait  pretty  much. 

It  is  an  "  ever  sad  tale."  But  my  heart  goes  out  more  to 
the  living  in  her  prison  cell  than  to  the  dead  in  his  Maker's 
hands.  She  may  have  callers  and  champagne,  but  oh !  what 
has  she  beside  ?  Remorse  and  the  spectre  of  her  dead  un- 
worthy love  ;  an  empty,  hopeless  life  ;  the  doors  shut  before 
and  behind  her  ;  never  a  husband's  honoring  touch,  never 
the  tender  caress  of  a  baby  hand,  none  of  life's  sweet  and 
sacred  cares  !  Shut  out !  outcast ! 

So  my  lips  can  frame  no  harsher  words  for  such  women 
than  my  heart  can  feel.  I  would  gather  them  all,  if  I  could, 
into  happy  homes  of  their  own,  but  oh,  who  could  bear  the 
balm  of  Lethe's  waters  to  their  heartp  ;  and  because  they 
can  never  forget,  so  they  can  never  be  happy. 

It  is  not  this  sort  of  women  that  wives  dread  most.  It  is 
the  respectable,  smooth-tongued  woman,  of  false  heart,  of 
hypocritical  pretensions,  that  we  view  with  most  dread  ; 
the  woman  who  has  drawn  over  her  native  infidelity  the 
mantle  of  wife's  name  and  religion's  cloak,  and  who,  under 
these,  lures  off  the  love  and  faith  of  the  man  who  meets  her 


78  STUKIA-STILES  TKAGEDY. 

amid  virtuous  surroundings,  where,  like  Satan  in  paradise, 
she  does  her  deadly  work. 

Some  day  a  change  will  come,  and  all  the  world  will  re- 
cognize the  force  and  truth  of  those  words  of  Christ  to  the 
hypocrites  of  His  day  :  "Ye  shall  see  the  publicans  and 
harlots  passing  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  yourselves 
shut  out." 

Christ  can  give  these  women  not  merely  the  cup  of  Lethe, 
not  merely  forgetfulness,  but  he  can  pour  into  them  such  a 
new  life  that  they  can  live  right,  and  can  attain  such  a 
sweet  and  beautiful  peace  and  rest  that  victory  shall  shine 
out  more  grandly  than  innocence,  triumph  over  sinful  ten- 
dencies prove  greater  than  untempted  conditions. 

MES.  W.  P.  BLACK. 

[Mrs.  Black  is  the  wife  of  a  prominent  lawyer  in  Chicago, 
and  is  an  active  member  of  temperance  and  other  reform 
movements.] 


PART   II. 
CHAPTEK  I. 

PAETICULAES  OF  THE  TRIAL. 

On  the  21st  day  of  November,  A.  D.  1882,  the  trial  of 
the  case  entitled,  The  People  of  the  State  of  Illinois 
against  Madeline  Stiles,  otherwise  called  Theressa  Sturla, 
was  begun  before  Honorable  George  Gardner  and  a  jury 
in  the  Criminal  Court  of  Cook  County. 

Judge  Gardner  was  elevated  to  the  bench  about  two 
years  ago.  As  a  member  of  the  bar  he  never  had  any 
practice  or  experience  in  defending  persons  charged  with 
crime.  He  was,  however,  a  chancery  lawyer  of  distinction, 
a  gentleman  of  rare  culture,  and  a  man  of  strong  religious 
convictions. 

While  the  following  pages  are  to  be  devoted  to  the  giving 
of  the  trial  as  it  actually  occurred,  as  shown  by  the  notes  of 
the  short-hand  reporter,  a  brief  notice  of  the  two  lawyers 
who  appeared  in  the  case  may  not  be  out  of  place.  It 
may  serve  to  satisfy  the  curious  as  they  are  both  remark- 
able men. 

Hon.  L.  L.  Mills  is  not  now  over  thirty-five  years  of  age. 
He  has  twice  been  elected  to  the  high  office  of  States 
Attorney,  now  held  by  him.  He  has  three  assistants  in 
his  office  and  tries  only  the  most  important  cases  himself. 
These  cases  he  makes  his  especial  study,  and  before  he 
undertakes  to  engage  in  the  actual  trial  of  a  case,  he  be- 


80  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

comes  conversant  with  all  the  facts  connected  therewith, 
and  knows  the  strength  of  his  case  as  well  as  the  weakness 
of  that  of  his  adversary,  and  visits  the  scene  of  every 
murder  case  he  tries. 

Mr.  Mills  is  a  hard  worker  and  well  versed  in  the  law,  is 
a  fine  scholar  and  thorough  gentleman,  and  an  unflinching 
defender  of  what  his  clear  and  honest  intelligence  tells 
him  is  law  and  justice.  And  by  all  who  know  him  as  a 
practitioner  and  citizen,  is  conceded  to  be  not  only  one  of 
the  most  eloquent,  but  one  of  the  noblest  and  best  men  in 
the  West. 

Before  he  was  attorney  for  the  State  he  defended  several 
persons  charged  with  murder  and  other  crimes. 

He  was  attorney  for  the  Pinker  ton  detective  agency 
until  his  election  to  the  office  he  now  fills  so  ably  and  well. 

Mr.  A.  S.  Trude  is  about  the  same  age  as  Mr.  Mills,  and 
the  two  men  in  their  methods  and  practice,  are  so  near 
alike,  that  one  would  be  inclined  to  think  that  they  gradu- 
ated out  of  the  same  school.  Like  Mr.  Mills,  Mr.  Trude 
never  tries  a  murder  case  without  first  visiting  the  scene  of 
the  homicide.  He  has  defended  thirty-four  men  and 
women  for  murder,  and  all  but  five  of  them  were  acquitted, 
and  none  of  them  were  hung.  Among  the  most  desperate 
of  his  cases  wherein  verdicts  of  not  guilty  were  rendered, 
are: 

First.  The  People,  etc.,  vs.  Joseph  Tausey  alias  Wm. 
Johnson,  indicted  for  killing  Albert  Goetz,  by  cutting  his 
throat  at  a  dance,  in  the  fall  of  1874.  Tried  and  acquitted 
March  Term,  Criminal  Court,  1875. 

Second.  People,  etc.,  vs.  George  Martin  alias  "White 
Pine,"  indicted  for  killing  St.  James  on  Clark  St.,  in 
broad  daylight,  with  a  bowie  knife,  in  summer  of  1875, 
and  tried  and  acquitted  at  Sept.  Term  1875. 

Third.    People,  etc.,  vs.  Henry  Seller,  indicted  for  kill- 


8TURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  81 

ing  J.  Kohn,  with  pistol,  tried  and  acquitted,  March  Term, 
1880. 

Fourth.  People,  etc.,  vs.  Dr.  Thomas  Cream,  indicted 
for  killing  of  Mary  Faulkner,  by  means  of  instruments 
intended  to  procure  abortion.  Tried  and  acquitted,  Nov. 
Term,  1881.  The  most  notable  case  ever  tried  in  Cook 
County,  aside  from  murder  cases,  was  that  of  B.  K.  and 
Robert  Turner,  charged  with  land  forgeries,  in  which  over 
three  million  dollars  worth  of  land  and  property  was  in- 
volved. Mr.  Trude  defended  with  U.  S.  Senator  Brown- 
ing. Howard  Turner  was  acquitted;  disagreed  as  to  R.  K. 
Turner,  who  was  subsequently  discharged. 

He  defended  successfully  the  County  Commissioners, 
and  Clement  Periolat,  of  the  so-called  Court  House  ring. 
He  has  appeared  for  Michael  C.  McDonald  in  many  stormy 
legal  conflicts,  during  the  many  years  he  has  been  his 
attorney.  Within  the  last  four  years,  he  has  been  getting 
gradually  out  of  criminal  practice,  and  is  now  entirely  out 
of  it  so  far  as  defending  is  concerned,  unless  something 
extraordinary  should  occur.  For  eight  years  he  has  been 
attorney  for  "W.  F.  Storey  and  the  Chicago  Times,  and  it 
was  while  defending  him  in  the  celebrated  case  of  the 
State  of  Wisconsin,  on  the  information  of  William  Beck, 
Chief  of  Police  against  W.  F.  Storey,  that  he  made  a 
record  for  himself  for  sagacity  and  eloquence  of  high 
order.  He  is  a  good  judge  of  human  nature,  knows  how 
to  work  upon  the  sympathies  of  a  jury,  and  in  the  line  of 
pathetic  oratory  he  is  unrivalled.  For  two  years  he  has 
been  the  attorney  for  the  Chicago  Tribune,  and  during  his 
connection  with  the  two  papers  referred  to,  as  legal  repre- 
sentative, he  has  not  had  a  single  adverse  verdict.  At  one 
time  there  were  pending  against  the  Chicago  Times  thirty- 
six  libel  suits,  and  seven  indictments.  At  the  present  time 
there  are  no  indictments,  and  but  three  libel  suits  pending. 
6 


82  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

He  is  a  positive  man,  warm  and  enduring  in  his  friend- 
ships, and  bitter  in  his  hates. 

The  side  of  the  defense  in  capital  cases,  is  the  unpopular 
side,  and  the .  more  bitter  the  denunciations  of  the  press, 
of  client  and  his  or  her  cause,  the  closer  clings  the  attorney 
and  the  more  defiant  is  he. 


CHAPTER  II. 

FIRST  DAY— NOVEMBER  21st,  1882. 

The  Court,  Judge  Gardner,  directed  counsel  to  proceed 
with  the  trial  of  the  cause. 

There  were  twenty-four  jurors  summoned  according  to 
law  on  the  regular  venire. 

James  Doyle,  the  clerk,  called  twelve  of  them  into  the 
jury  box. 

The  examination  of  the  jurors  as  to  their  qualifications 
and  belief  in  the  infliction  of  the  death  penalty  in  proper 
cases,  was  conducted  by  Mr.  Mills.  Twenty-two  of  the 
twenty-four  were  excused  by  him. 

He  then  asked  the  Court  to  issue  a  special  venire  for  one 
hundred  jurors.  When  the  Sheriff  of  the  county,  Gen.  O.  L. 
Mann,  was  about  to  cause  it  to  be  served  by  detailing  a 
number  of  his  deputies  to  go  into  the  body  of  the  county 
and  serve  the  summons,  as  was  the  custom,  Mr.  Mills 
objected  to  the  Sheriff  either  serving  the  writ  himself  or 
directing  who  should  serve  it,  and  asked  for  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  special  bailiff  by  the  Court.  To  this  Mr.  Trude 
said  he  had  no  objection,  but  claimed  that  the  objection  by 
the  States  Attorney  to  the  Sheriff  included  every  person 
under  him,  and  that  the  Court  should  appoint  some  person 
not  known  to  either  attorney. 

As  it  was  then  12:30  P.  M.,  the  Court  stated  that  he 
would  adjourn  to  2  P.  M.,  and  asked  Mr.  Mills  if  we  would 
suggest  any  person  as  special  bailiff.  Before  he  could  an- 
swer Mr.  Trude  stated  that  necessarily  the  States  Attorney 
was  partisan,  and  that  he  most  seriously  objected  to  his 


84  STTJRLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

virtually  uniting  the  functions  of  Sheriff  with  those  of 
States  Attorney.  The  most  important  and  vital  step  that 
he,  as  counsel,  was  called  upon  to  take  in  the  progress  of 
the  trial,  was  to  see  to  it  that  his  client  be  tried  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  organic  law,  "by  a  fair  and  impartial  jury." 
A  doubt,  if  not  indeed  a  suspicion,  would  arise  if  either  at- 
torney had  the  power  to  name  the  man  who  was  to  sum- 
mon the  jury,  which  would  be  tantamount  to  naming  the 
jurors  himself.  Never  but  twice  in  the  history  of  the  Crim- 
inal Court  of  Cook  County  had  the  arm  of  the  Sheriff  been 
stricken  down  by  objections  like  those  made  in  the  case  at 
bar,  and  those  two  cases  arose  in  the  election  cases  of  1874 
and  were  purely  of  a  political  character.  In  this  case  there 
are  no  political  issues  to  be  tried  nor  party  feeling  to  en- 
counter, and  in  the  territory  peopled  by  honest  men  no  one 
stands  higher  than  the  distinguished  official  against  whom 
the  States  Attorney  has  lodged  his  objection.  There  is  but 
one  man  in  the  office  of  the  Sheriff  against  whom  he  would 
lodge  an  objection  to  the  service  of  the  writ  by  him,  and 
that  man  has  been  conspicuous  in  rendering  all  the  aid  in 
his  power  to  the  prosecution.  I  refer  to  Henry  Severs, 
continued  Mr.  Trude,  who  looks  and  acts  as  though  he  ex- 
pected to  serve  the  venire.  He  asked  the  Court  to  act  up- 
on the  precedent  established  in  the  two  cases  referred  to, 
and  appoint  some  person  outside  of  the  Criminal  Court  and 
free  from  its  influences.  Any  one  or  more  of  the  bailiffs  of 
the  other  courts  would  not  be  objectionable  to  him.  On 
this  motion  Mr.  Trude,  in  conclusion,  said  :  "  Your  Honor 
will  pardon  my  apparent  zeal,  but  that  writ  has  often  been 
termed  '  omnipotent  process  ;'  never  did  I  see  before  the 
full  force  of  the  term  or  realize  its  full  significance.  The 
man  who  has  that  within  his  control  and  engaged  in  exe- 
cuting it,  has  the  power  to  place  before  the  prisoner  at  the 
bar  as  her  judges,  in  fact,  twelve  honest,  just  and  true  men; 


STUKLA. -STILES   TUAGEDY.  85 

he  has  equally  the  power  to  summon  members  of  a  certain 
club  or  the  friends  of  members  of  that  club  which  is  active- 
ly engaged  in  prosecuting  this  defendant,  which  would 
make  this  trial  a  burlesque  on  justice  and  a  travesty  on  the 
words  found  in  the  Constitution  of  the  general  government 
and  incorporated  in  our  own,  '  a  fair  and  impartial  trial.' 

"  It  is  our  hope  and  the  law's  expectation  that  we  have  a 
fair,  honest,  and  intelligent  jury  in  this  case.  Again  I  say 
I  protest  against  the  States  Attorney  naming  the  man,  and 
particularly  protest  against  Mr.  Severs  serving  the  venire." 

Mr.  Mills  stated  in  reply  that  he  was  as  anxious  as  op- 
posing counsel  to  have  the  case  tried  before  a  fair  and  im- 
partial jury.  Mr.  Severs  was  and  is  the  chief  bailiff  of  the 
Criminal  Court,  and  as  such  had  never  failed  to  do  his  duty 
honestly  and  faithfully;  that  he  did  not  procure  for  him 
his  position  under  the  Sheriff-elect  Hanchett,  but  had  writ- 
ten a  letter  advocating  his  cause  to  the  Sheriff.  Mr.  Sev- 
ers' character  was  so  well  known  that  it  needed  no  defense. 

The  Court  then  stated  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
appoint  Mr.  Severs,  which  the  court  then  did.  Mr.  Trude 
excepted. 

The  work  of  impanneling  the  jury  then  proceeded,  and 
up  to  the  adjournment  of  the  court  but  two  jurors  had  been 
accepted. 

SECOND   DAY — NOVEMBER  22ND,  1882. 

An  exhaustive  examination  of  the  persons  called  into  the 
jury  box  was  made  by  the  States  Attorney,  particularly  with 
regard  to  their  ability  to  give  the  case  a  fair  hearing  and 
render  an  impartial  verdict,  and  upon  their  willingness  to 
inflict  the  death  penalty  in  cases  of  murder.  An  equally 
exhaustive  examination  was  gone  into  by  Mr.  Trude,  who 
enquired  of  each  juror  as  to  whether  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Owl  Club,  or  as  to  whether  he  was  intimately  acquaint- 


86  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

ed  with  any  member  of  that  club  ;  and  having  found  sev- 
eral such  who  had  been  summoned  in  the  special  venire, 
among  them  the  president  of  the  club,  himself,  Thomas 
Kirkwood,  excused  them  promptly  from  service.  He  next 
examined  the  persons  summoned  as  to  their  views  on*  the 
questions  of  diseases  of  the  mind  and  insanity,  and  at  the 
adjournment  of  court  eight  jurors  were  taken  by  both 
sides. 

THIRD  DAY NOVEMBER  23RD,  1882. 

On  the  opening  of  court  Mr.  Trude  asked,  before  the 
jurors  were  brought  in,  to  be  allowed  to  excuse  peremptor- 
ily the  juror  Herman  Tobias,  as  he  had  information  as  to 
his  prejudice  against  the  defendant.  That  he  had  been 
heard  to  say  that  '  she  ought  to  be  hung,  etc.' 

The  Court  ruled  that  as  the  juror  had  been  accepted  and 
sworn  in,  he  could  not  be  excused. 

Mr.  Trude  claimed  under  the  law  he  had  the  right  to  ex- 
cuse a  juror  peremptorily  any  time  before  the  twelve  were 
accepted,  and  urged  as  another  ground  that  as  the  juror 
had  said  that  he  had  read  about  the  case,  talked  about  it 
and  had  formed  an  opinion,  that  it  would  take  evidence  to 
remove  it,  though  he  further  said  he  could  give  defendant  a 
fair  trial  notwithstanding  such  opinion,  he  ought  to  be  ex- 
cused, citing  People  vs.  Weil,  40  California. 

The  Court  declined  to  excuse  him. 

Mr.  Trude  excepted  to  the  ruling. 


CHAPTEK  III. 
FOURTH  DAY— NOV.  24m,  1882. 

The  following  jurors  were  sworn  to  try  the  case  : 

Herman  Tobias,  Andrew  Forbes,  John  Sheehy,  James 
Dale,  W.  A.  Jones,  W.  F.  Wolf,  Edward  Wood,  J.  H.  Cam- 
eron, Henry  W.  Forbes,  John  Erickson,  Henry  Snyder, 
Gustave  Brucher. 

Mr.  Mills  then  opened  for  the  prosecution  as  .follows  : 
Ma\j  U  please  the  Court  and  gentlemen  of  the  jury : — 

I  am  glad  that  after  several  days  of  anxious  toil  we  have 
succeeded  in  obtaining  from  the  body  of  this  county  twelve 
good  men  to  try  this  great  case  of  the  State  of  Illinois 
agaiust  Madeline  Stiles  alias  Theressa  Sturla.  The  investi- 
gation of  the  important  subjects  to  be  brought  lip  in  this 
trial  needed  men  of  thought  and  fidelity.  This  case  is  im- 
portant for  many  reasons.  In  this  beautiful  city  of  ours, 
in  the  summer  of  this  year,  a  young  man  was,  without 
warning,  shot  down  and  left  cold  and  bleeding  in  a  room  in 
the  Palmer  house.  The  appalling  nature  of  the  great 
crime,  the  deliberation  with  which  it  was  planned,  the  bold- 
ness with  which  it  was  executed,  the  subtle  cunning  resort- 
ed to  by  the  murderess  to  get  at  her  victim,  her  unfaltering 
resolution  to  make  his  death  certain,  his  prominence  in 
commercial  circles,  all,  all  explain  why  this  great  interest, 
so  plainly  manifest  by  this  great  audience  and  yonder 
thronged  street.  This  fact  of  death  made  the  inquiry  im- 
portant with  a  terrible  impressiveness.  In  view,  therefore, 
of  the  importance  of  the  case,  I  hope  you  will  give  it  the 
strictest  attention  in  order  that  a  just  and  fair  conclusion 


88  STTJRIA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

may  be  reached.  The  indictment  which  I  hold  in  my  hand 
charges  this  woman  with  murder,  and  by  the  statutes  of 
our  State  murder  is  thus  denned.  (Here  the  statutory 
definition  of  the  crime  of  murder  was  read  to  the  jury.) 
For  violating  that  law  this  womau  stands  indicted.  The 
facts,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  briefly  are  these:  In  the 
month  of  July  there  lived  in  this  city  one  Charles  Stiles, 
caller  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  and  Theressa  Sturla,  the 
defendant  in  this  case,  who  were  acquaintances  of  some 
years'  standing.  What  their  full  relations  were  I  will  not 
now  state,  except  to  say  that  from  certain  questions  pro- 
pounded to  you  by  Mr.  Trude  when  you  were  being  exam- 
ined as  jurors,  I  should  infer  that  they  were  not  of  a  moral 
nature.  The  exactitude  of  what  they  were  would  appear 
in  evidence.  On  the  10th  of  July  this  defendant  was  living 
at  No.  292  "Wabash  Avenue,  where  Mr.  Stiles  also '  had  an 
apartment,  as  well  as  another  one  at  the  Palmer  house. 
On  the  9th  day  of  July,  Stiles  and  the  defendant  took  a  ride 
in  a  buggy,  going  to  a  suburban  resort  known  as  "Down- 
ing's"  or  "  Sunny  side."  Here  they  had  supper  in  a  private 
room.  "While  there  they  quarreled.  Stiles  suddenly  order- 
ed his  horse  and  came  home  to  the  Palmer  house.  After 
he  went  to  his  room  the  bell  in  660  was  violently  rung  and 
immediately  afterwards  there  was  another  energetic  ring  at 
the  bell  connected  with  room  661.  When  the  bell-boy  went 
up  he  found  Stiles  dressed,  with  his  hat  on,  and  was  told 
that  the  watchman  was  wanted.  The  latter  appeared  in  a 
few  minutes  and  held  a  conversation  with  Stiles,  and  with 
other  things  there  said  by  him,  was  a  request  that  under  no 
circumstances  was  he  to  allow  a  woman  to  call  at  or  come 
to  his  room.  The  details  of  that  conversation  will  be  given 
in  evidence,  as  well  as  to  what  it  led  to.  The  woman  be- 
ing left  to  go  home  as  she  wished,  and  while  she  might  have 
hired  a  horse  and  buggy  to  take  her  home,  preferred  to 


STUELA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  89 

walk  in,  and  hired  the  hostler  at  Downings  to  go  with  her 
to  the  cars.  Just  before  they  reached  the  cars  they  went 
into  a  saloon,  and  she  asked  the  proprietor  of  the  place 
how  far  it  was  to  the  Palmer  house.  She  looked  cool  and 
was  free  from  excitement.  She  got  on  the  cars,  came  to 
the  city,  and  on  State  street  she  met  a  man,  as  though  by 
appointment;  that  she  subsequently  parted  with  him  and 
met  another  person,  with  whom  she  went  to  a  pawn  shop 
and  asked  for  a  self-cocking  revolver.  I  will  also  show 
that  on  this  same  night  she  had  pawned  a  dress  for  a  sum 
sufficient  to  purchase  the  revolver.  She  retired  early  and 
at  the  unusual  hour  of  five  in  the  morning  she  arose  and 
went  down  to  the  Palmer  house,  arriving  there  at  about 
seven  o'clock.  Rapping  at  the  door  of  Stiles'  room,  in  a 
boyish  or  child-like  voice  she  said  "messenger,  messenger," 
which  must  have  deceived  Stiles,  for  he  opened  the  door. 
Four  minutes  later  a  man  in  an  adjoining  room  heard  two 
shots  and  cries  of  murder !  murder !  The  people  who 
responded  to  this  cry  of  agony  and  distress  found  Charles 
Stiles  stark  and  bleeding  upon  the  floor,  while  the  woman 
stood  by  apparently  cold  and  unmoved.  When  they  asked 
her  why  she  killed  him,  she  stooped  down,  kissed  him,  and 
said:  'I  told  him  I  would  do  it,"  I  came  here  to  doit, 
and  have  done  it  ;  I  am  glad  of  it;  let  the  law  take  its 
course.'  She  was  cool,  and  on  her  face  was  an  expression 
of  determination.  Only  one  of  the  shots  struck  him,  and 
that  shot  entered  his  body  in  such  a  way  as  to  indicate  that 
he  held  up  his  arm  to  ward  off  the  shot,  for  the  bullet  pass- 
ed through  his  arm  (indicating,)  here,  and  into  his  body 
here,  (indicating.)  This,  then,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  is 
the  case  of  the  people  against  the  defendant.  The  defend- 
ant was  not,  and  is  not  insane;  her  every  act  indicated  de- 
liberation. It  is  true  the  defendant  is  a  woman.  But  what 
kind  of  a  woman  ?  You  will,  as  sworn  jurors,  stand  by 


90  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

your  oaths  and  be  guided  by  the  law  and  the  evidence,  and 
not  be  diverted  by  any  sentimentality. 

Mr.  Trude  then  opened  for  the  defense  as  follows: 
May  it  please  your  Honor  and  you  gentlemen  of  the  jury : 

The  States  Attorney  has  presented  to  your  view  but  one 
page  in  the  history  of  these  two  persons — the  prisoner  and 
her  dead  lover,  and  that  one  page  is  written  in  characters 
of  blood — his  blood.  The  rest  of  their  history,  beginning  at 
the  time  when  they  first  met  in  the  summer  of  1377,  is 
written  in  tears  and  blood — her  tears  and  her  blood. 

For  a  full  understanding  of  this  case,  and  that  you  may 
be  in  a  position  to  do  exact  justice  alike  to  the  People  of  the 
State  of  Illinois  and  the  woman  sitting  yonder  within  full 
view  of  you  all,  it  becomes  my  duty  to  present  to  your  con- 
sideration facts  which  show  the  true  relations  of  the  dead 
lover  and  his  living  victim.  Victim,  did  I  say  ?  Yes,  she 
was  such.  If  five  years  of  physical  pain  and  mental  an- 
guish imposed  by  him  upon  her  in  the  most  ruthless  man- 
ner without  fault  on  her  part  does  not  make  her  a  victim, 
then  I  have  misunderstood  the  term.  In  1877,  when  the 
prisoner  was  but  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  she  was  be- 
guiled from  a  home  wherein  she  had  lived  for  years  in  con- 
tent and  in  happiness,  by  Charles  Stiles.  This  took  place 
in  Baltimore,  where  she  lived  with  her  parents.  Stiles 
visited  that  city  on  an  expedition  not  disassociated  with 
gambling,  horse-racing  and  kindred  vices,  in  short  he  was 
'  following  the  races '  and  lived  by  betting  on  sure  things 
as  it  is  termed  in  the  parlance  of  the  turf.  While  there  he 
saw  the  defendant  and  by  arts  and  devices  he  of  all  otheis 
knew  so  well  how  to  employ,  he  gained  complete  control  of 
the  Italian  girl  who  at  this  time  spoke  English  indifferently. 
He  saw  in  her  an  ardent,  loving  girl,  of  great  natural  musi- 
cal qualities  which  he  could  turn  to  his  monetary  advan- 
tages. He  could  speak  the  Italian  language,  and  in  her 


STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  91 

natal  tongue  lie  conversed  with  her,  told  her  that  if  she 
would  consent  to  go  to  Chicago  and  unite  her  lot  with  his, 
that  her  life  would  be  one  of  endless  joy  and  pleasure  ;  that 
he  was  well  known  in  Chicago  and  acquainted  with  those 
who  controlled^the  dramatic  press  ;  that  he  would  provide 
for  her  a  music  teacher  and  as  her  voice  was  clear,  power- 
ful and  rich,  though  somewhat  crude,  he  would  have  it  cul- 
tivated. All  this,  and  more,  he  promised  her.  Shortly 
after  this  she  came  on  to  Chicago.  He  took  her  to  a  house 
and  under  a  promise  of  marriage  they  retired.  In  the 
night  time,  at  about  4  o'clock,  sbe  heard  a  noise  in  the 
room  like  that  made  by  a  person  softly  closing  a  trunk  ; 
supposing  it  to  be  made  by  a  burglar,  she  instinctively 
reached  out  her  hand  toward  her  companion,  to  find  him 
gone.  Acting  upon  an  impulse  she  suddenly  arose  from 
the  bed  and  rushed  toward  a  dark  form  that  she  saw 
in  the  gloom  moving  towards  the  door  in  retreat;  she 
caught  up  to  the  supposed  intruder  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs,  when  she  received  a  violent  blow  in  the  face.  This 
was  followed  by  a  struggle,  during  which  she  recognized 
her  lover,  Charles  Stiles,  and  upon  an  examination  of  her 
trunk  she  found  that  he  had  taken  all  her  money  and  valu- 
ables. On  this  discovery  of  his  perfidy  and  with  it  a  dis- 
sipation of  all  her  expectations,  hopes  and  dreams,  she 
fainted,  and  on  recovering  became  delirious.  A  few  days 
after  this  occurrence,  and  while  she  was  arranging  to  go 
back  to  Baltimore,  he  reappeared,  talked  love  and  Italian 
to  her;  she  with  the  fear  that  possessed  her  of  meeting  her 
parents,  and  with  the  recollection  that  she  had  no  place  to 
go,  forgave  him.  He  persuaded  her  to  rent  No.  10  Clark 
street;  that  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  in- 
deed was  a  '  caller  on  the  board,'  was  a  member  of  the  Owl 
Club  and  society  of  Elks,  and  would  bring  to  the  house 
plenty  of  customers,  for  wine,  etc.  She  rented  the  house, 


92  STUBLA-STILES   TKAGEDY. 

where  they  lived  quietly  for  some  time.  She  entertained 
him  and  his  patrons  by  singing,  playing  on  the  harp,  guitar, 
and  piano,  and  under  the  influences  of  music  and  song  sold 
large  quantities  of  wine.  Charles,  in  the  meantime,  dressed 
with  artistic  style,  gambled  with  money  earned  by  the  de- 
fendant, and  gambled  with  the  proceeds  of  sales  of  wine 
to  members  of  the  Owl  Club.  His  drain  on  her  re- 
sources were  so  constant  that  in  the  beginning  of  1880  she 
was  compelled  to  decline  his  request  for  money,  when  he 
knocked  her  down  and 'kicked  her  in  the  abdomen  as  she 
lay  on  the  floor.  She  fainted,  and  in  her  distress  and 
agony  was  cared  for  by  two  persons,  both  of  whom  will  in 
their  own  way  narrate  under  the  solemnity  of  their  oaths 
this  brutal  occurrence  and  its  effect  upon  the  prisoner's 
health  thereafter.  About  this  time  a  little  bootblack  used 
to  visit  the  house  and  run  errands  for  the  prisoner.  She 
took  an  interest  in  him  and  gave  shelter,  food,  clothing  and 
education  to  this  little  wandering  waif.  His  custom  was  to 
go  to  school  at  8:30  A.  M.,  take  his  dinner  with  him,  and 
return  to  the  house  at  4  P.  M.  About  three  weeks  after 
the  assault  just  referied  to,  Stiles  visited  the  house,  apolo- 
gized for  his  conduct  and  was  forgiven.  The  next  day  he, 
in  the  presence  of  the  boy  referred  to,  asked  for  money  of 
defendan  t,  and  on  her  asking  him  as  to  what  he  was  going 
to  do  with  it,  was  struck  by  him  in  the  face.  A  woman  who 
was  also  present  turned  to  rebuke  Stiles,  when  the  defend- 
ant said :  "  I  alone  suffer,  and  I  alone  have  the  right  to 
complain;  don't  chide  him." 

I  will  not  consume  too  much  of  your  time  by  detailing 
how,  often  in  No.  10  Clark  street,  he  kicked  her,  knocked 
her  down  and  ill-treated  her,  but  will  refer  to  one  more  in- 
cident at  No.  10  Clark  street,  and  then  go  on  to  other  scenes 
no  less  brutal  at  subsequent  times  and  at  other  places. 

About  a  month  after  the  above  occurrence  Stiles  came 


STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  93 

home  drunk;  the  defendant  advanced  to  meet  him  when  he 
knocked  her  down  and  kicked  her  in  the  face. 

From  the  time  she  emerged  from  girlhood  into  woman- 
hood, she  has  been  the  victern  of  suppressed  or  difficult 
menstruation,  the  seriousness  of  her  condition  was  intensi- 
fied by  the  brutal  treatment  she  endured  at  the  hands  of 
Stiles,  and  from  the  time  she  was  kicked  by  him  on  the 
abdomen,  at  such  periods  when  she  has  her  menses,  she  is 
deranged.  When  he  adds  fresh  acts  of  brutality  upon  her 
when  she  is  menstruating,  she  is  wildly  insane.  This  I 
promise  to  show  not  by  paid  detectives,  hiding  spies  or 
persons  of  doubtful  reputations,  but  by  well  known  and 
reputable  persons.  I  will  show  acts  of  brutality,  which  is 
a  predisposing  cause  of  insanity,  from  the  time  of  the  last 
mentioned  act  up  to  about  July  5th,  1882,  by  police  officers, 
citizens  and  carriage  drivers.  In  my  opening  I  will  only 
refer  to  such  acts  as  will  give  character  to  the  whole,  such 
acts  as  are  conspicious  for  their  hellish  brutality.  She  left 
No.  10  Clark  St.  about  the  25th  day  of  April,  1881,  and  on 
the  request  of  Stiles  went  to  live  at  Watson's,  where  he 
could  turn  her  accomplishments  or  rather  her  musical 
attainments  to  a  better  account  for  him.  With  an  eye  and 
heart  devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  the  boy  Frankie,  she 
committed  him  at  tbis  time  to  the  care  of  a  farmer.  The 
Watson  house,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  is  one  frequented 
by  persons,  who  have  forgotten  or  who  never  learned  the 
seventh  commandment.  Of  its  kind  it  stands  highest  and 
often  therein,  may  it  be  said  to  their  disparagement,  are 
gathered  the  politician,  congressman,  statesman,  judge  and 
possibly  the  lawyer.  This  defendant  by  singing  and  play- 
ing on  various  instruments  was  enabled  to  make  large 
sums  of  money,  and  in  this  connection  permit  me  to  say, 
Charles  Stiles  would  wait  in  a  closet  in  the  Watson  house 
till  his  scarlet  mistress  had  gathered  together  her  funds  for 


94  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

the  night,  when  he  would  come  forth  from  his  retreat  and 
take  from  her  hands  the  fruits  of  her  weakness  and  shame, 
and  his  perfidy  and  degradation.  He  would  then  go  away, 
gamble  and  return  with  a  depleted  pocket  book  for  replen- 
ishment. On  some  of  these  occasions  the  roof  of  this 
crimson  tinted  house  would  shelter  at  the  same  time 
Charles  Stiles  the  son,  Gren.  E.  B.  Stiles  the  father,  Eugene 
Stiles  the  brother,  and  Chauncy  Stiles  the  uncle,  a  highly 
moral  family  surely,  not  one  however- desired  in  such  a 
house  even,  for  they  more  frequently  went  there  to  borrow 
from  the  defendant  than  for  any  other  purpose.  The 
States  Attorney  has  often  said  during  the  progress  of  this 
trial,  that  Charles  Stiles  dead,  can  not  give  his  version  of 
the  relations  sustained  by  him  with  the  defendant,  and 
intimated  that  she  must  have  had  large  sums  of  his  money 
in  her  charge.  Charles  Stiles  dead  does  speak,  O!  how 
clearly  on  that  subject,  in  letters  written  by  him  from  time 
to  time  in  which  he  asks  for  money,  admits  he  is  a  gambler 
and  libertine.  These  letters  are  written  from  the  Owl 
Club,  and  here  let  nie  say,  that  his  popularity  with  that 
club  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  he  spent  large  sums  of 
money  on  its  members,  and  they  knew  not  that  behind  the 
liberal  Stiles  stood  the  scarlet  robed  Italian  girl,  with  out- 
stretched hand  in  which  was  held  the  money  which  en- 
abled them  to  have  what  they  term  their  good  times.  She 
it  was  who  provided  money  for  the  Salvini  entertainment; 
this  will  be  also  shown  by  one  of  his  letters. 

She  stayed  at  the  Watson  house  till  May  1881,  when  she 
on  his  request  rented  a  suit  of  rooms  No.  371  Wabash 
avenue,  whither  went  also  his  father  and  brother,  the 
former  after  a  sickness  of  long  duration,  during  which  he 
was  waited  upon  by  the  prisoner,  who  used  to  sleep  on  the 
f6ot  of  his  bed,  died,  and  with  her  night  garment  she  tied 
his  stiffening  limbs.  During  this  sickness  the  dying  man 


8TURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  95 

often  vainly  calling  for  the  presence  of  his  wife,  who  came 
not  till  too  late,  died  in  the  arms  of  Madeline  the  Magda- 
lane.  On  the  heels  of  this  death  there  came  more  mem- 
bers of  the  Stiles  family,  who  demanded  the  furniture  of  the 
house;  the  defendant  declined  to  surrender  it,  but  sold  it 
and  went  back  to  the  Watson  house.  This  was  in  Septem- 
ber, 1881,  where  she  remained  about  seven  months,  when 
she  on  the  request  of  Stiles  went  to  live  at  Mrs.  Harvey's, 
No.  291  Wabash  avenue,  as  man  and  wife.  Nothing  un- 
usual happened  till  about  the  1st  day  of  July,  when  she 
received  a  letter  in  which  he  spoke  of  her  in  a  heartless 
manner;  she  read  that  letter  to  Mrs.  Harvey,  talked  hysteri- 
cally and  incoherently;  she  was  at  the  time  suffering  from 
her  old  complaint,  the  details  of  which  the  witness  Harvey 
will  give  better  than  I  can  tell  you. 

FIFTH   DAY — NOVEMBER   25th,  1882. 

Mr.  Trade  resumed  his  address  to  the  jury. 

I  will,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  hurry  on  to  the  close  of 
my  opening.  The  medical  name  for  this  condition  of  the 
defendant  described  by  me  last  night  is  Dysmennorrhea. 
That  we  may  proceed  in  light  of  correct  information,  I  will 
read  from  one  or  two  recognized  authorities  a  full  defini- 
tion of  the  term  and  description  of  the  disease.  (Here 
counsel  read  from  Blandiord  on  Insanity,  pages  68-69, 
also  from  Byford  on  Diseases  of  Women. ) 

I  will  now  refer  to  Stiles'  last  supper  and  his  last  ride. 
On  the  9th  of  July,  1882,  at  about  5  o'clock,  Stiles  and  the 
defendant  started  to  go  to  Sunnyside;  they  reached  that 
place  about  6:30  in  the  afternoon. 

They  went  into  the  parlor  ;  she  sat  down,  light  hearted 
and  fancy  free,  and  played  on  the  piano  and  sang,  after 
which  they  went  into  the  dining  room  and  took  their 
supper.  Stiles  often  on  this  trip  asked  her  for  money,  and 


96  STURIA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

in  the  dining  room  was  very  urgent  and  pressing  in  his 
demand;  meeting  with  no  compliance  on  her  part  he  left 
the  room,  called  for  his  horse,  and  while  waiting  for  it  Mr. 
Frederick  Davis,  a  well  and  favorably  known  citizen  drove 
up,  saw  Stiles,  with  whom  he  had  some  acquaintance. 
Stiles  informed  him  that  matters  were  not  as  bright  as  they 
might  be,  his  girl  had  money  and  would  not  give  any  to 
him.  Mr.  Davis  told  him  that  he  heard  some  ugly  rumors 
about  his  ill  treatment  of  her,  when  Stiles  replied  that  the 
more  he  licked  her  the  better  she  liked  him,  and  much 
more  to  the  same  effect ;  when  his  horse  arrived  he 
went  away  without  the  prisoner,  to  whom  he  had  given  no 
notice  of  his  sudden  departure.  When  she  learned  that 
she  was  abandoned  by  her  lover,  she  was  bewildered  and 
sick  at  heart  and  in  great  physical  distress.  Being  at  the 
time  menstruating,  she  was  incapable  of  reasoning.  In  her 
bewilderment  she  ^did  not  think  that  she  could  hire  a 
buggy  to  take  her  to  the  city  for  the  same  price  paid  by 
her  to  the  boy  who  escorted  her  through  the  rain  and  mud 
to  the  street  car.  Of  that  memorable  trip  of  more  than 
three  miles,  how  her  feet  sank  into  the  mud  ankle  deep; 
how  she  fell  several  times  while  climbing  over  the  logs  that 
encumbered  her  pathway;  with  the  rain  falling  in  torrents 
upon  her;  her  hair  saturated  with  water  and  streaming 
down  her  back;  her  clothes  smeared  with  mud;  how  she 
was  affected  when  she  passed  the  grave  yard  on  her  weary 
journey  ;  what  she  said  and  did,  had  better  be  told  by 
other  lips  than  mine.  You  will  hear  it  from  her  and  per- 
haps from  her  companion,  the  hostler,  Peter  Ruffing.  When 
she  arrived  in  the  city,  her  acts  were  not  controlled  by  will 
or  governed  by  reason;  they  were  automatic.  Remember- 
ing doubtless  past  brutalities  on  his  part,  and  having 
deterred  him  often  before  from  assulting  her,  by  pointing  a 
pistol  at  him,  as  we  will  show  by  the  person  who  gave  her  a 


STORLA-  STILES   TKAGEDY.  97 

pistol  for  that  purpose,  she  obtained  the  pistol  referred  to 
by  the  States  Attorney,  and  went  to  the  rooms  where  they 
lived  and  where  she  expected  to  meet  him,  for  when  she 
arrived  there  she  said  to  Mrs.  Harvey,  "is  Charlie  there? 
if  so  tell  him  to  keep  away  and  not  beat  me  for  I  have  a 
pistol  and  am  sick."  I  prefer  that  Mrs.  Harvey  shall  under 
oath  tell  you  how  she  spent  the  night;  delirious  and 
wildly  insane,  she  was  beyond  a  doubt. 

The  circumstances  attending  her  leaving  Mrs.  Harvey's 
house  and  going  to  the  Palmer  house,  her  gaining  admit- 
tance to  his  room,  meeting  him,  the  firing  of  the  shots,  and 
this  woman  now  by  my  side  bending  over  him  with  a  face 
of  marble  and  lips  of  ice,  kisses  the  lips  of  death,  will  be 
given  to  you  by  the  witnesses  for  the  prosecution,  for  this 
woman  had  and  has  no  friends  in  that  great  hotel,  but  I 
can  safely  say  that  those  acts,  instead  of  establishing  malice, 
prove  her  insane  or  irresponsible. 

For  four  days  you  have  witnessed  a  struggle  without 
parallel  in  an  endeavor  to  secure  men  on  this  jury,  with 
iron  heads  and  marble  hearts,  and  in  this  connection  we 
are  told  by  the  State's  Attorney  not  to  be  diverted  by  any 
sentimentality.  I  ask  for  this  woman  only  justice,  iron- 
ciad,  iron-heeled  ;ustice,  and  if  she  obtains  that  her  acquit- 
tal is  assured. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
SIXTH  DAY— NOVEMBER  27th,  1882. 

Dr.  T.  J.  Bluthart,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills,  State's  Attor- 
ney: "Am  county  physician.  I  saw  body  of  Charles 
Stiles  at  the  morgue  on  July  11,  and  held  a  post-mortem 
examination.  Besides  a  few  slight  abrasions  of  the  skin  on 
the  face  and  knees  there  was  a  gun  shot  wound  in  the  mid- 
dle part  of  the  left  arm.  The  ball  passed  through  the  arm 
and  into  the  body  an  inch  to  left  of  the  left  nipple,  tLen 
down  the  lower  part  of  the  left  ventricle  of  the  heart, 
through  the  diaphragm  and  lodged  in  the  abdominal  cavity. 
That  wound  was  the  cause  of  death.  The  body  was  clothed 
in  a  night  shirt,  which  was  burned  considerably  where  the 
ball  entered,  and  powder  marks  surrounded  the  wound." 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Trude : 

"  Yes,  the  pistol  must  have  been  fired  close  to  the  body." 
He  then  illustrated  on  Mr.  Trude  the  course  of  the  bullet. 

Felix  Puscheck,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills:  "Am  an  archi- 
tect; made  diagram  introduced  in  evidence,  and  in  answer 
to  question,  explained  to  the  jury  from  the  diagram  the 
situation  of  rooms  660,  661,  662,  664  and  the  halls  upon 
which  the  first  three  rooms  front  and  the  hall  running  to 
H.  B.  Young's  room,  664,  and  further  testified  to  finding 
a  bullet  mark  on  the  wall  in  front  of  room  No.  662,  (which 
was  opposite  room  occupied  by  Charles  Stiles,)  six  feet  and 
four  inches  from  the  floor  on  the  east  side  of  hall." 

Cross-examination  waived. 

Frank  A.  Brobst,  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills:  "Am 
clerk  of  Palmer  house;  was  clerk  on  10th  July,  1882.  Act- 


8TURIA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  99 

ing  on  report  from  bell-boy  that  a  man  was  shot  on  sixth 
floor,  I  started  up  stairs;  saw  the  body  of  Charles  Stiles; 
his  head  seemed  close  to  door  No.  660 ;  found  revolver  in 
room  661,  also  a  glove,  (both  identified  by  witness.)  Saw 
the  prisoner;  she  acted  cool,  looked  at  the  body,  and  said 
to  me,  '  there  lies  the  revolver;  you  had  better  take  care  of 
it.'  She  further  said  to  the  officer  who  had  been  called, 
'  he  had  no  business  to  try  to  put  me  out  of  the  room.' " 

Cross-examined  by  A.  S.  Trude: 

"  She  looked  as  though  she  did  not  realize  what  she  had 
done;  her  face  was  bloodless." 

Willis  Howe,  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills.  "I  am 
managing  partner  of  the  Palmer  house  with  Potter  Palmer. 
On  the  morning  of  July  10th,  1882,  was  called  up  to  sixth 
floor.  Saw  body  of  Charles  Stiles  laying  on  the  floor  near 
560;  I  saw  Theressa  Sturla  there;  she  was  kneeling  at  the 
head  of  the  body  when  I  saw  her  first.  She  said  in  reply 
to  question  that  she  had  shot  him.  I  heard  her  say  she 
came  there  to  shoot  him;  that  he  left  her  on  the  North 
side,  and  had  walked  home  in  the  rain." 

Cross-examined  by  Trude: 

"Brobst  and  Livingston's  opportunities  for  hearing  what 
was  said  were  equally  as  good  as  my  own.  My  memory  is 
taxed  by  weighty  affairs  that  directly  concern  me,  so  that  I 
may  not  clearly  remember  just  what  was  said.  She  was 
deadly  pale  or  very  white;  was  excited. 

Frank  A.  Livingston,  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 
"Am  clerk  in  Palmer  house;  was  called  up  to  sixth  floor. 
Saw  Charles  Stiles  bleeding  on  the  floor;  heard  prisoner 
say,  'if  he  had  not  tried  to  force  me  from  the  room  this 
thing  would  not  have  occurred.'  She  looked  cool." 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"  She  bent  over  him  and  kissed  him;  she  looked  dazed;  did 
not  see  Mr.  Howe.  When  I  first  got  there  she  looked  pale," 


100  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

Julia  Joacheim,  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills:  "I  keep 
pawn-shop  398  State  street;  Theressa  Sturla  came  to  my 
place  on  Sunday  night,  July  9th,  1882,  and  with  an  un- 
known man  purchased  a  revolver  and  cartridges;  the  man 
said  he  had  to  go  to  South  Chicago  and  wanted  the  revolver 
to  protect  himself;  she  said  she  lived  out  there;  she  first 
asked  for  a  pistol;  I  said  I  would  not  sell  a  lady  a  pistol; 
(pistol  shown  her)  this  looks  like  the  one  sold  to  them." 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"The  night  was  stormy;  she  was  very  wet,  looked  wild 
and  talked  part  of  the  time  in  English  and  part  of  the  time 
in  Italian;  the  man  did  most  of  the  talking;  she  rubbed  her 
hands  and  trembled;  I  never  saw  a  person  so  excited;  she 
walked  up  and  down  in  the  store  in  a  wild  way;  she  sub- 
sequently pawned  a  dress  for  ten  dollars." 

"William  Bohan,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills:  "  I  am  a  police 
officer;  I  reached  the  body  of  Stiles  about  five  minutes  to 
7  o'clock;  I  saw  several  gentlemen  there,  Mr.  Howe,  Liv- 
ingston, Brobst,  and  two  or  three  bell-boys;  I  saw  defend- 
ant, Theressa  Sturla,  there;  she  was  standing  against  the 
wall,  very  cool;  I  arrested  her;  went  into  room  660,  picked 
up  the  revolver,  found  two  chambers  empty;  she  said  she 
shot  him  with  it;  one  shot  hit  Charles  Stiles,  and  the  other 
shot  went  into  the  wall  on  the  door  opposite  to  No.  660;  it 
was  aimed  high;  she  said,  '  I  shot  him,  he  had  no  business 
to  push  or  try  to  push  me  out  of  the  room.'  " 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"I  saw  her  bend  over  and  kiss  the  lips  of  Stiles;  she  was 
pale;  she  had  a  far-away  look  in  her  eyes  and  they  seemed 
to  protrude  from  her  head ;  she  might  have  said  '  if  he  had 
not  choked  me  this  would  not  have  happened;  her  neck 
bore  the  imprint  of  finger-marks;  the  marks  were  fresh;  on 
the  way  to  the  station  she  talked  incoherently,  part  of  the 
time  in  English  and  part  of  the  time  in  Italian;  she  asked 


STURIA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  101 

for  a  pistol  on  the  way  to  station;  complained  of  being 
sick;  at  the  morgue  she  insisted  on  going  in,  and  forced 
herself  through  the  crowd  to  the  body  of  Stiles;  kissed  it 
again ;  she  looked  unnatural  and  said  as  she  gazed  at  his 
body,  'he  now  lays  where  his  father  did  about  a  year 
ago.'" 

H.  B.  Young,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"Am  an  artist  and  designer,  employed  at  Matson  &  Co.'s 
establishment;  boarded  at  the  Palmer  House;  on  July  10th 
occupied  room  664;  I  was  up  at  six  minutes  to  7  o'clock;  I 
heard  the  voice  of  a  person  in  the  hall  calling  '  messenger ! 
messenger  !  it  was  like  a  boy's  voice;  I  next  heard  the  open- 
ing and  closing  of  the  door  of  the  room  occupied  by  Stiles; 
I  heard  no  conversation  till  the  shots  were  fired;  I  heard 
two  shots." 

"What  time  was  this  ?"    "  Two  minutes  of  6." 

"  Four  minutes  after  the  calls  of  '  messenger  ?' "  "  Yes^ 
four  minutes  after." 

"  The  second  shot  followed  the  first  in  about  twenty  sec- 
onds; about  the  time  of  the  second  shot  I  heard  a  person 
trying  to  open  a  door  and  a  voice  crying  '  murder !  mur- 
der!' the  person  fell  on  the  floor  in  the  hall,  and  I  jumped 
on  the  bed  which  stood  near  the  transom  and  looked 
through  it;  I  saw  a  person  and  heard  a  voice  say,  'It  is 
Charlie  Stiles;'  then  I  heard  another  voice  say,  'I  killed 
him;  he  left  me  in  the  road  last  night;  I  haven't  changed 
my  clothes  nor  been  in  bed."  Some  people  came  in  the 
hall,  among  them  a  man  with  white  trousers  and  a  straw 
hat;  there  were  not  many  people  that  I  could  see,  at  the 
time  the* defendant  was  kneeling  on  the  floor  by  the  body, 
and  I  heard  her  say,  '  I  told  him  I  would  do  it,  and  I  have 
done  it.'  She  brushed  his  hair  back  and  kissed  him,  and 
then  said,  '  I  have  done  it  and  I  am  glad  of  of;  let  the  law 
take  its  course,  and  I  don't  care  if  I  swing  for  it.'  I  saw 


102  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

only  the  profile  of  her  face;  she  was  not  excited;  there  was 
no  particular  manner  about  her;  she  was  like  a  statue.' 

Witness  then  testified  as  to  accuracy  of  diagram  and  des- 
cribed on  it  how  the  body  was  lying  and  where  and  how 
the  prisoner  knelt.' 

Cross-examination,  by  A.  S.  Trude: 

"  I  did  not  testify  at  Coroner's  inquest;  I  did  not  appear 
before  Grand  Jury;  Mr.  Mills  visited  me  at  my  store  with 
Mr.  Moneghan." 

How  do  you  manage  to  fix  the  time  so  exactly  between 
the  call '  messenger!  messenger!'  and  the  firing  of  the  shot 
at  just  four  minutes  ?  The  first  time  I  looked  I  did  not 
know  whether  I  would  shave  or  go  back  to  bed. 

What  induced  you  to  look  the  second  time  ?  I  heard  the 
shot  and  thought  it  was  a  suicide. 

So  you  wanted  to  get  the  exact  time  so  as  to  give  cor- 
rect testimony  ?  Yes,  sir. 

"  What  I  have  testified  to  is  only  a  part  of  what  was 
said;  it  is  a  fragment,  only,  of  what  was  said.  If  I  could 
give  the  whole  of  the  conversation  it  might  convey  a  differ- 
ent idea." 


CHAPTER  V. 
SEVENTH  DAY— NOVEMBER  28th,  1882. 

Baldus  Ryerson,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills:  "I  am  a  mes- 
senger boy,  connected  with  American  District  Telegraph 
Co. ;  was  working  for  the  company  on  July  9th,  1882.  I 
was  sent  to  295  Wabash  avenue;  I  went  to  Mrs.  Harvey  or 
Mrs.  Stiles;  I  got  the  message  in  the  Palmer  house;  I  do 
not  know  the  gentleman  who  gave  it  to  me,  but  I  took  it  to 
Mrs.  Harvey's,  gave  it  to  a  boy,  who  gave  it  to  Mrs.  Har- 
vey and  she  gave  it  to  Mrs.  Stiles,  who  opened  it;  she  read 
it  aloud;  I  forget  what  was  in  it.  Heard  her  say  she  would 
take  his  life;  she  would  rather  be  in  jail  than  here.  She 
asked  me  if  I  was  going  back  to  the  Palmer  house;  I  said, 
no.  The  colored  lady  signed  the  ticket.  That  is  the 
ticket."  (A  ticket  is  here  shown  witness  upon  which  the 
name  of  Mrs.  Stiles  appears.) 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"Never  saw  Theressa  before  that  day  and  never  since  till 
I  went  into  the  jail  with  a  person  who  gave  her  a  box;  this 
was  a  few  weeks  after.  Can  not  identify  Mrs.  Harvey; 
will  not  swear  this  woman  is  not  her;  (here  a  lady,  not 
Mrs.  H.,  is  pointed  out  to  witness.)  Can  not  identify  the 
colored  woman  nor  the  boy.  My  opportunities  for  identi- 
fying them  were  as  good  as  those  of  identifying  defendant. 
I  saw  them  as  much  and  as  long  as  I  did  the  defendant. 
While  at  the  house  I  did  not  hear  his  name  called,  and  the 
first  time  I  heard  it  called  since  was  in  the  office  down 
stairs  when  he  named  him."  (Indicating  R.  D.  Stiles,  uncle 
of  deceased.) 


104:  STURLA-8TILES  TRAGEDY. 

Munroe  Potter,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills:  "Was  book- 
keeper at  Downing's  hotel  at  Sunnyside  on  July  9.  Knew 
Stiles  and  defendant  by  sight;  saw  them  at  that  date  at 
Sunnyside;  they  arrived  in  a  buggy  and  ordered  supper; 
waited  upon  them  to  the  extent  of  giving  them  beer  on  the 
porch.  Entered  the  dining  room,  but  did  not  remember 
what  they  were  saying,  as  part  of  the  time  they  talked  in 
the  Italian  language.  After  supper  Stiles  came  out,  or- 
dered his  buggy  and  drove  off;  this  was  about  9  o'clock,  at 
which  time  it  began  to  rain  and  was  veiy  dark;  after  he  had 
gone  Sturla  came  out  and  enquired  where  he  bad  gone;  on 
being  told  that  he  had  gone  off  but  said  he  would  be  back 
in  a  half  of  an  hour,  she  said  he  would  not;  she  did  not 
seem  at  all  excited,  but  was  resolute  and  had  a  determined 
air;  she  asked  if  there  was  any  one  who  would  go  to  the 
city  limits  with  her;  she  told  me  her  name  was  Madeline 
Stiles  and  was  the  mistress  of  Charles  Stiles,  and  that  she 
wanted  to  get  to  the  Palmer  House  before  the  elevator 
stopped  running,  so  that  she  could  shoot  him;  she  left  with 
the  hostler,  going  towards  the  city." 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"Used  to  be  a  bar-keeper  at  Sunnyside;  was  once  bar- 
keeper at  9  and  11  East  Adams  street, — Barney  McNeil's 
place;  used  to  be  a  collector  of  bills;  yes,  I  had  conversa- 
tion with  Times  reporter,  but  did  not  tell  him  all  I  knew, 
nor  about  her  threat  to  shoot  Stiles  or  her  apparent  reso- 
lution; Mr.  Starkey,  an  official  connected  with  the  office  of 
the  States  Attorney,  found  me  at  woik  at  a  lunch  counter 
in  Milwaukee;  we  did  not  drink  together,  but  he  bought  a 
cigar;  on  the  day  or  night  of  July  9  I  only  took  four  or  five 
drinks;  yes,  Sunday  is  a  day  when  we  usually  do  more 
drinking  than  week  days;  was  not  drunk;  was  discharged 
on  account  of  drinking,  perhaps;  I  may  have  said  to  re- 
porters that  I  knew  little  about  the  case,  and  told  no  re- 
porter about  the  threats," 


STURLA-STILliS   TRAGEDY.'  105 

Mrs.  Sophicmia  Downing,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"  I  remember  having  seen  defendant  with  Charles  Stiles 
at  our  place  on  evening  of  July  9;  she  sat'  down  at  the 
piano,  played  and  sang;  nothing  unusual  occurred  except 
while  at  supper  she  was  choked  slightly  by  a  chicken  bone, 
and  he  talked  kindly  to  her  and  all  seemed  to  be  pleasant." 

The  cross-examination  mostly  consisted  in  an  enquiry  as 
to  where  the  hostler,  Peter  Ruffing,  was. 

The  revolver  was  identified  and  introduced  in  evidence, 
and  left  on  the  table.  It  was  a  self-cocking,  five-barrelled 
weapon,  with  two  chambers  empty. 

Thomas  "Walch,  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"  Am  bell-boy  at  Palmer  House;  went  to  room  of  Stiles 
on  night  of  July  9th,  in  response  to  ring  coming  from  bells 
of  both  rooms — his,  660,  and  661 ;  wanted  me  to  see  that 
no  woman  was  permitted  to  call  on  him  at  his  room." 

Here  a  long  argument  was  made  by  counsel  pro.  and  con. 
on  the  motion  to  strike  out  the  evidence  of  the  witness  on 
the  ground  of  its  general  incompetency,  and  particularly  on 
the  ground  of  the  conversation  taking  place  in  absence  of 
prisoner. 

The  Court  let  the  evidence  stand  and  defendant  excepted 
to  ruling  of  Court. 

By  Mr.  Trude: 

"  If  your  honor  please,  I  ask  that  the  revolver  be  re- 
moved from  the  room;  it  has  been  offered  in  evidence, 
shown  to  the  witness  for  the  purpose  of  identification,  and 
exhibited  to  the  jury.  Its  part  has  been  more  than  played. 
The  States  Attorney  has  the  pistol  in  his  hand,  gesticulates 
with  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  a  timid  man  apprehensive, 
and  the  attention  of  the  jury  is  diverted  from  the  evidence 
by  having  before  their  constant  view  this  weapon.  His 
Honor,  Judge  Me  Allister,  now  of  the  Appellate  Court,  and 
formerly  of  the  Supreme  Court,  when  engaged  as  Judge  in 


106  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

the  trial  of  the  People,  etc.,  vs.  Mrs.  Mary  McDonald,  de- 
cided that  it  was  improper  to  exhibit  and  toy  with  a  weapon 
which  was  employed  by  the  prisoner  in  the  perpetration  of 
the  alleged  crime." 

The  Court  suggested  that  it  had  better  be  described  by 
witnesses. 

By  Mr.  Mills: 

"It  has  been  -the  custom  to  introduce  the  weapon  of 
death  in  evidence,  and  I  merely  incidentally  handled  the 
pistol.  Mr.  Trude  has  no  right  to  rebuke  me  or  call  in 
question  my  methods.  The  remarks  of  the  gentleman  were 
designed  for  some  ulterior  purpose — to  make  an  impression 
on  the  jury,  perhaps.  I  might  with  equal  force  ask  to  have 
the  prisoner  unveil  her  face." 

By  Mr.  Trude: 

"  I  was  about  to  say,  when  interrupted  by  the  States  At- 
torney, that  that  eminent  jurist,  McAllister,  suggested  that 
the  pistol  or  knife  had  better  be  described  to  the  jury  in- 
stead of  displayed  before  it.  It  could  not  be  introduced  in 
the  record  or  incorporated  in  a  bill  of  exceptions.  But  in 
this  more  than  in  any  other  case,  Mr.  Mills  is  constantly 
handling  it  and  giving  the  trial  a  sanguinary  aspect. 
And—" 

By  Mr.  Mills: 

"  I  object  to  the  counsel  making  such  statements  in  the 
hearing  of  the  jury,  and  say  that  he  is  indulging  in  theatri- 
cal effects.  His  client  is  acting  in  the  court-room  while 
outside  of  it  she  is  buoyant  and  gay." 

By  Mr.  Trude: 

"  You  are  as  untruthful  as  you  are  unfair,  and  the  re- 
marks of  the  States  Attorney  partake  of  the  spirit  of  bar- 
barism. The  defendant  while  in  the  court-room  sustains 
herself  by  an  effort  that  is  almost  heroic,  while  out  of  it  and 


BTTJRLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  107 

in  her  cell  she  is  prostrated — and  the  spy  that  says  other^ 
wise,  lies" 

The  Court: 

"  This  must  stop,  gentlemen." 

By  Mr.  Trade: 

"  The  pistol  in  constant  view  of  the  jury  does  not  aid  the 
cause  of  public  justice,  I  apprehend." 

By  Mr.  Mills,  removing  the  pistol: 

"  She  is  the  heroine  of  constant  receptions  as  soon  as 
court  adjourns." 

Mr.  Trude  objected  to  this  remark. 

ON    THE   PART   OF   THE    DEFENDANT. 

Officer  Bohn  (who  was  on  the  stand  in  behalf  of  the  Peo- 
ple) was  sworn,  and  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"I  took  the  prisoner  to  the  morgue;  on  the  way  she 
asked  for  a  pistol;  she  talked  incoherently  and  wildly; 
there  were  marks  on  her  neck  which  looked  like  those  made 
by  fingers;  she  first  talked  in  English  and  then  drifted  into 
Italiar." 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"I  can't  say  she  was  acting;  don't  know  whether  the 
marks  were  made  at  the  Palmer  House,  or  before  or  since 
the  shooting." 

Henry  W.  Fisher,  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"  Am  city  editor  of  Arbeiter  Zeitung;  early  in  the  after- 
noon following  the  tragedy  I  visited  the  defendant  to  inter- 
view her;  saw  her  neck;  saw  on  it  red  and  blue  marks; 
might  have  been  made  by  fingers  of  a  person  engaged  in 
an  effort  to  choke  her;  her  eyes  looked  wild  and  she  acted 
unnaturally." 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"  Don't  know  who  made  marks  on  neck." 


108  STUBLA-STILES   TEAGEDY. 

W.  C.  Smith  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude : 

"Am  a  pharmacist  doing  business  at  No.  441  State  street; 
know  the  defendant  drugs;  don't  remember  when  I  first 
saw  her,  but  the  first  time  I  saw  anything  unusual  in  re- 
gard to  her  was  about  a  year  ago  when  I  went  to  her  rooms 
to  collect  a  bill;  she  was  lying  on  a  lounge,  her  limbs  were 
doubled  up  close  to  her  body;  she  was  talking  in  a  language 
not  understood  by  me;  she  asked  for  something  to  quiet 
her  nerves;  sent  her  a  mixture  of  bromide  of  potassia  and 
calisya  bark;  she  complained  of  pains  she  was  compelled  to 
endure  at  a  certain  period  of  the  month;  saw  her  again 
some  months  after;  she  was  talking  about  Charlie,  and  said 
she  thought  he  would  kill  her  yet;  that  he  often  beat  her: 
wanted  me  to  get  her  some  powdered  loadstone;  she  want- 
ed it  fine,  to  mix  up  with  some  other  powder  to  take  to  keep 
the  witches  away  that  were  worrying  her;  she  was  excited; 
talked  Italian,  when  she  knew  I  could  not  understand  her; 
was  excited ;  gave  her  laudanum  several  times  when  she 
was  periodically  ill;  on  those  occasions  she  suffered  much." 

Cross-examined,  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"  She  was  a  customer  of  mine,  and  her  doctor — Bates — 
has  an  office  in  building  attached  to  my  store;  sell  drugs 
and  medicine  to  Miss  Watson;  have  evinced  some  interest 
in  this  case." 

Frank  Weed,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"Am  a  farmer  boy  fifteen  years  old,  and  work  for  Alex. 
Eckford,  at  Park  Kidge;  my  father  is  dead;  my  mother 
married  again  and  I  became  a  wanderer;  don't  know  where 
my  mother  or  step-father  is;  as  a  boot-black  and  news-boy 
I  about  three  years  ago  became  acquainted  with  Madeline; 
she  was  kind  to  me,  clothed  and  sent  me  to  school;  I  did 
odd  jobs  and  ran  errands  about  the  house;  Madeline  often 
sent  me  with  money  to  Charles  Stiles  in  an  envelope,  and 
told  me  to  give  it  to  no  one  but  him;  this  was  done  so  of- 


STURLA-ST1LES   TRAGEDY.  109 

ten  that  I  can  not  fix  upon  the  first  time,  but  it  was  when 
she  lived  at  No.  10  Clark  street;  I  have  seen  Charlie  hit 
Madeline  often ;  on  one  occasion  he  went  up  to  her  and 
knocked  her  down  with  his  closed  fist;  she  got  up  and  threw 
her  arms  around  his  neck  and  kissed  him;  she  would  never 
allow  anyone  to  take  her  part  or  rebuke  him  when  he  struck 
her,  but  used  to  say,  '  as  I  alone  suffer,  I  alone  have  the 
right  to  complain.'  Have  seen  Madeline  go  down  on  her 
knees  and  talk  and  pray  wild-like,  then  she  would  get  up 
and  run  around  the  room  and  tear  her  hair;  then  she  would 
sit  down  on  the  floor  and  murmur  something  in  Italian; 
this  continued  until  Madeline  left  No.  10  Clark  street,  when 
she  gave  me  in  charge  of  the  farmer,  as  she  and  Charlie 
were  going  to  live  at  a  place  where  she  did  not  want  to  take 
me. 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"I  have  been  in  the  court-room  in  the  company  of  House 
or  Mailhouse,  but  he  was  watching  to  see  that  no  member 
of  the  Owl  Club  got  at  me;  I  don't  know  whether  House  or 
Mailhouse  is  a  thief  or  not;  I  never  saw  him  around  No.  10 
when  I  was  there;  have  often  seen  Madeline  in  jail  and 
talked  about  the  case;  have  had  but  little  to  say  to  Mr. 
Trude  about  the  case;  he  asked  me  to  think  carefully  over 
all  that  transpired  from  the  time  I  went  to  live  with  Made- 
line till  I  left." 

Re-direct,  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"  Mr.  Trude  told  me  to  report  the  name  of  any  person 
who  asked  me  to  leave  the  city  to  Judge  Gardner;  that  the 
Owl  Club  had  run  off  one  boy  witness,  Peter  Ruffing." 

Letitia  Miller  sworn  and  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"Am  a  washer-woman;  live  at  509  Victoria  alley;  I  know 
defendant  four  years  and  Stiles  about  same  time;  I  washed 
at  No.  10  Clark  street;  the  first  time  I  found  defendant  in- 
jured was  in  March,  1880,  when  Mr.  Stiles  stumbled  over 


110  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

me  as  I  was  going  up-stairs;  he  said,  'don't  be  frightened, 
it  is  I;  the  little  girl  and  I  have  had  a  fuss.'  I  went  up- 
stairs (he  was  going  down-stairs)  and  I  found  Madeline  ly- 
ing on  the  floor,  unconscious;  I  put  her  in  the  bed;  when 
she  came  to,  she  said  Charlie  had  kicked  her  in  the  side; 
she  raved  in  Italian  and  was  convulsive  in  her  movements; 
Dr.  Bates  attended  her;  she  was  insensible  foe  quite  a 
while ;  the  cook,  Sally,  applied  hartshorn  and  I  bathed  her 
face  with  water;  was  present  at  another  time  when  Mr.  Stiles 
asked  Madeline  for  $50,  and  when  she  refused  he  hit  her  in 
the  face  with  his  fist;  I  exclaimed,  'Oh,  Mr.  Stiles!'  when 
he  ran  away.  A  few  days  after  this  I  saw  her  and  she  was 
all  beaten  up  in  the  face;  she  cried,  and  said  '  Charlie  did 
it;'  the  next  time  I  saw  her  was  when  she  lived  at  Watson's; 
she  was  feeling  bad;  talked  Italian  and  then  English;  said 
'all  he  cares  for  me  is  to  get  my  money;'  I  remember  on 
one  occasion  when  he  kicked  a  tooth  out  of  her  head  and 
left  her  on  the  floor,  bleeeing.  Often  have  seen  her  when 
she  was  not  in  her  right  mind;  she  would  on  those  occa- 
sions take  his  letters  to  me  and  read  the  loving  ones  and 
those  that  had  love  in  them  and  poetry,  and  talk  about 
birds  and  flowers,  and  read  them  over  and  over  again  to 
me-  would  laugh  and  cry  at  the  same  time,  and  would  kiss 
the  letters;  at  other  times  she  would  bring  me  the  bad  let- 
ters, those  that  blamed  her  and  called  her  names;  about 
these  she  would  rave  and  tear  her  hair." 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"  I  guess  she  came  to  me  because,  she  could  get  no  one 
else  to  listen  to  her;  I  don't  know  whether  Mr.  Stiles  used 
to  give  her  money  or  not;  I  have  visited  Madeline  in  jail; 
the  house  No.  10  Clark  street  was  kept  by  Madeline,  and 
women  and  men  used  to  go  there  for  improper  purposes; 
I  asked  for  Madeline." 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  Ill 

EIGHTH  DAY — NOVEMBER  29TH,  1882. 

"William  A.  Pinkerton  sworn,  and  examined  by  Mr. 
Trade: 

"  Am  general  superintendent  of  the  Pinkerton  Detective 
Agency;  some  two  years  ago  I  went  with  Lieut.  Hayes  to 
see  defendant  at  the  request  of  Charles  Stiles,  caller  for  the 
call  board;  he  had  received  from  a  boy  sent  by  defendant 
at  the  board  while  in  session  a  basket  of  so-called  "  fruit," 
consisting  of  layers  of  rotten  potatoes,  decayed  cabbages, 
old  onions,  set  off  on  the  top  by  a  large  beet  marked 
'Charles  Stiles;'  he  wanted  me  to  induce  her  to  let  him 
alone  in  the  future;  I  told  her  the  object  of  my  visit,  when 
she  said  she  would  gladly  consent  to  let  him  alone  but  de- 
manded protection  herself;  that  it  was  of  no  use,  he  would 
stay  away  for  a  few  days  and  then  come  around  worse  than 
ever;  I  told  her  that  if  she  was  resolute  and  really  wished 
to  break  off  with  him,  that  it  could  be  done,  and  that  if  he 
came  around  to  her  place  she  could  send  for  an  officer  of 
Lieut.  Hayes'  command,  who  would  protect  her;  I  im- 
pressed her  with  the  necessity  of  giving  up  the  articles 
owned  by  him  in  her  custody — this  she  did;  I  told  her  to 
send  him  no  more  bouquets  'to  make  him  ridiculous  in 
the  sight  of  board  of  trade  people;  she  told  me  he  abused 
her  and  wanted  him  to  ke'ep  away;  we  then  left;  a  few 
weeks  after  this,  while  looking  for  a  runaway  Michigan  girl, 
I  went  to  house  of  defendant,  and,  meeting  her,  was  interro- 
gated by  her  as  to  the  reason  of  my  writing  a  certain  letter 
to  Stiles  about  her,  saying  she  was  dangerous,  etc.,  and  to 
my  astonishment  she  showed  me  the  letter  I  had  written 
Stiles  since  my  visit  referred  to.  She  then  said, '  I  told  you 
he  could  not  keep  away.'  I  said, 'you  are  wrong,  he  will 
not  come  here,'  and  I  was  about  to  ask  her  how  she  got  the 
letter;  she  threw  open  a  door  to  a  room  within  which  I  saw 
Charlie  Stiles  putting  on  a  shirt;  she  tripped  to  a  piano, 


112  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

sang  and  played,  laughed  at  Stiles,  who  made  for  her  with 
a  water  pitcher,  and  but  for  my  interference  would  have 
struck  her;  she  talked  about  destiny  and  fate  bringing 
them  together;  I  said  destiny  and  fate  would  separate  them 
with  a  bloody  hand,  or  something  to  that  effect;  she  said 
Charlie  had  hoodooed  her;  she  acted  unnatural." 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

Are  not  prostitutes,  as  a  class,  superstitious  ?  My  utter 
want  of  knowledge  of  them  renders  a  correct  answer  impos- 
sible. 

"  She  was  nervous  and  excited,  and  I  thought  best  for 
both  to  separate;  she  could  not  keep  her  mind  upon  one 
subject  for  a  minute." 

Lieut.  Hayes  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"  I  accompanied  Mr.  Piukerton  on  the  occasion  referred 
to  by  him."  (Witness  corroborated  previous  witness  as  to 
first  meeting). 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"*L  told  Madeline  that  if  Stiles  did  not  keep  away  from 
her  there  would  be  trouble." 

Max  Kipley  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"  Am  lieutenant  of  police;  was,  on  July  9,  desk-sergeant 
at  Armory;  saw  Madeline  on  day  of  arrest;  there  were  little 
red  marks  on  her  neck." 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"Marks  were  very  small  indeed;  don't  know  where  or 
when  they  were  made,  or  by  whom." 

Gustave  Demars  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"Am  police  officer;  was  such  July  9,  and  for  three  years 
prior  thereto;  in  1880  a  hack  drove  up  to  No.  10  Clark 
street,  and  Charles  Stiles  got  out  of  it  and  kicked  at  front 
door  of  the  house;  he  was  answered  by  a  woman  from  an 
upper  window,  who  told  him  he  could  not  come  in;  he  had 
a  revolver,  and  was  drunk;  said  he  would  kill  her;  took 


STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  113 

the  pistol  away;  Stiles  then  went  away,  and  a  few  days  after 
he  requested  me  to  go  to  the  Owl  Club;  went  there;  saw 
him;  he  apologized  for  his  conduct;  at  another  time  saw 
Stiles  strike  her." 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"  This  was  about  two  years  before  shooting  of  Stiles." 
Mrs.  Rosa  Ashton  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 
"Was  housekeeper  at  No.  10  Clark  street;  saw  Madeline 
come  home  from  Lincoln  Park;  clothes  were  torn  and  filled 
with  burrs;  she  told  in  a  wild,  nervous,  and  crazed  man- 
ner, how  she  had  been  left  in  the  park  by  Charlie;  how  she 
wandered  till  she  reached  a  tomb;  got  frightened;  fled 
from  the  tomb  to  the  bank  of  the  lake  and  fell  down  in- 
sensible, and  after  she  recovered  she  fancied  how  she  saw 
the  dead  walking  around  her;  that  after  a  while  she 
reached  the  house  of  Mr.  Bobey,  who  kindly  allowed  two  of 
his  servants  to  go  with  her  to  the  cars." 

"On  this  occasion  she  was  white  in  the  face;  her  eyes 
were  unnatural  in  appearance;  she  was  confined  after  this 
to  her  bed  for  several  days.  On  another  occasion  I  saw 
Charles  Stiles  kick  her  and  knock  her  down,  when  she  got 
up  and  tried  to  kiss  him.  She  would  often  go  around  the 
room  crying,  then  she  would  suddenly  sink  upon  the  floor, 
draw  her  limbs  closely  to  her  body  and  groan.  On  these 
occasions  she  had  her  monthly  sickness.  When  she  had 
her  '  monthlies '  and  had  trouble  with  Charley  besides,  she 
was  always  in  great  pain  and  was  not  right  in  her  head." 
Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"The  house  was  kept  for  improper  purposes.     I  have 
not  seen  much  of  her  lately," 

Daniel  Downing  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 
"Am   proprietor   of    Sunnyside.     Potter  used  to  work 
for  me.     At  8.30  P.  M.,  July  9  I  saw  Monroe  Potter;  he 
had  been  drinking  too  much;    he  may   not  have  been 
8 


114  STUfcLA-STILES  TKAGEDY. 

drunk,  but  was   not   sober.     I  discharged  him  from  my 
employ." 

Joseph  Dunlap  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trade: 
"Am  city  editor  of  Chicago  Times ;  I  saw  defendant  on 
day  of    tragedy;  her  neck  bore   marks  of   fingers.     The 
pupils  of  her  eyes  were  dilated;  she  looked  wild  and  un- 
natural." 

Cross-examination  waived. 

Frederick  E.  Davis  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Tiude : 
"Am  secretary  of  Tolu  Bock  and  Rye  Company;  was  at 
Sunnyside  day  before  death  of  Charles  Stiles;  saw  him 
there.  He  said  he  was  getting  on  badly,  that  the  Italian 
had  money  and  he  was  going  to  try  to  get  some  of  it.  I 
said  I  hear  that  you  treat  her  badly.  He  replied  '  the  more 
I  thump  her  the  better  she  likes  me.' " 

In  the  cross-examination  witness  repeated  his  statement. 
George  W.  Man  by  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 
"Am  hackman;  took  Stiles  and  defendant  out  riding  first 
time  when  she  lived  at  No.  10  Clark  street,  about  three 
years  ago.  After  they  got  beyond  the  Exposition  Building 
Michigan  avenue  I  heard  her  cry  out  'stop,  don't;'  then  I 
heard  her  scream;  then  I  got  out,  and  Stiles  said,  'drive 
on,  I  will  settle  with  you.'  She  said  he  had  taken  her 
money  away.  At  the  house  of  Carrie  Watson,  where  I 
went  with  Stiles  and  another  member  of  the  Owl  Club, 
after  he  induced  her  to  come  out  of  '/  House  he  struck  or 
violently  pushed  her  in  the  back." 

In  the  cross-examination  Mr.  Mills  drew  out  the  fact  that 
witness  had  been  drinking  liquor  on  the  occasions  referred 
to,  and  that  she  drank  at  a  State  street  restaurant,  sang  and 
played  on  the  piano  and  appeared  gay. 

George  A.  Elton  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude 
"Am  undertaker;  both  father  and  son  lay  on  my  marble 
slab  at  the  morgue;  the  shirt  of  the  son  Charles  was  burned 


STURLA-  STILES  TRAGEDY.  115 

with  powder  near  or  over  the  wound  that  caused  his  death. 
The  pistol  must  have  been  fired  closed  to  his  body;  washed 
the  blood  off  his  face,  and  saw  no  scratches  or  wounds 
upon  it." 

Cross-examination  by  Mr.  Mills  waived. 

John  A.  Corwin  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trade : 

"Am  journalist;  about  noon  acting  city  editor  of  one  of  the 
newspapers  requested  me  to  take  charge  of  Stiles  shooting 
case;  saw  defendant  in  her  cell;  she  was  rocking  herself  to 
and  fro;  was  pale;  saw  marks  on  her  neck.  She  was 
excited,  eyes  protruded." 

Cross-examination  by  Mr.  Mills  waived. 

Cornelius  Murphy  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"Am  police  officer;  was  sent  for  by  the  boy  Frankie  to 
arrest  a  man  in  No.  10  Clark  street.  About  three  years 
ago  arrested  both  Stiles  and  the  defendant.  He  gave  name 
of  Ben.  Shaw;  both  were  fined  and  she  paid  both  fines." 

Cross-examination  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"She  did  not  appear  to  be  hurt  much;  did  not  see  any 
marks  near  the  eye.  They  each  demanded  that  the  other 
be  arrested.  The  woman  Ashtonwas  arrested  also." 

Charles  Blair  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude : 

"  Am  hack-driver;  had  known  the  defendant  three  or  four 
years  and  knew  Stiles  by  sight  same  length  of  time.  In 
May,  1881,  took  them  out  for  drive  to  Bowmansville,  where 
they  had  supper.  After  they  got  through  Stiles  asked  her 
to  pay  for  the  supper.  She  said,  '  ain't  you  ashamed  to  ask 
me  for  money  before  people  ?  '  He  said,  '  it  don't  matter, 
you  pay  for  it.'  This  she  did,  and  on  the  way  in  I  heard 
some  noise  in  the  hack,  I  got  out  and  looked  in  hack;  saw 
defendant  with  handkerchief  to  her  face;  her  nose  was 
bleeding  and  she  was  crying.  One  night  in  May,  1882, 
while  on  the  way  to  South  Park,  he  took  her  out  of  the 
hack  by  the  hair  of  head.  She  cried." 


116  STURLA-ST1LES  TRAGEDY. 

Cross-examination  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"She  struck  him  on  the  occasion  of  the  hair-pulling 
episode.  Yes,  she  looked  mad.  She  did  not  curse  him. 
Before  we  got  home  they  made  up." 

Richard  S.  Tuthill  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude : 

"Was  city  attorney;  formerly  member  of  Owl  Club, 
but  severed  my  connection  with  it  some  years  ago;  I 
used  to  occasionally  meet  Stiles  at  the  club,  as  he  was  a 
member." 

Question — What,  if  anything,  did  he  say  about  getting 
money  from  his  mistress  to  make  good  loses  at  poker  at  the 
club? 

Objected  to.     Objection  sustained  and  exception. 

Agusta  Papendeick  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"Am  the  matron  of  the  county  jail  and  have  charge  of 
the  department  where  the  defendant  has  been  confined. 
Her  conduct  since  she  has  been  in  my  care  has  been 
strange.  She  would  kneel  down  after  surrounding  herself 
with  candles  and  pray;  then  she  would  suddenly  jump  up 
and  sing,  then  laugh  and  as  suddenly  cry.  At  other  times 
she  would  take  his  picture  and  say  she  would  like  to  go  to 
Dixon  and  dig  up  his  bones  and  have  them  near  her.  She 
has  a  locket  on  her  neck  containing  picture  of  Stiles 
with  charms  and  some  of  his  hair  in  it.  At  times  her 
face  looked  unnatural,  and  the  pupils  of  her  eyes  were 
dilated. 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

"  I  don't  think  that  she  is  pretending  or  following  out  a 
line  of  defense  marked  by  her  attorney;  Mr.  Trude,  up  to 
a  few  days  before  her  case  was  called,  did  not  call  but  rare- 
ly; during  the  trial  he  has  seen  her  often." 

Rufus  Chapin  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude : 

"Am  Deputy  Sheriff,  and  at  times  had  charge  of  jail; 
saw  defendant  after  she  used  to  sing  on  Sundays  at  service; 


STDRLA-  STILES   TRAGEDY.  117 

she  looked  at  times  unnatural — like  a  Madonna;  her  eyes 
directed  upward  for  an  hour  at  a  time." 

Cross-examination  waived. 

James  Maitlaud  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude : 

"  Am  journalist  on  Chicago  Tribune;  saw  the  defendant 
at  the  Armory;  she  was  incoherent;  looked  wild;  saw  some 
marks  on  the  throat." 

Cross-examination  waived. 

E.  J.  McPhelim  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"  Am  journalist,  connected  with  Chicago  Times;  was  de- 
tailed to  interview  Madeline  Stiles  on  10th  of  July;  saw  her 
at  Armory;  her  throat  was  marked  on  each  side." 

Cross-examination  waived. 


CHAPTEE  VI. 
NINTH  DAT— NOVEMBER  30th,  1882. 

Miss  Carrie  Watson  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude : 
"Have  known  Charles  Stiles  five  or  six  years;  he  has 
been  at  my  house  often;  he  brought  the  defendant  to  my 
house  about  two  and  a  half  years  ago;  that  was  the  first 
time  I  saw  her;  he  said  that  she  was  a  good  musician  and 
had  a  fine  voice;  that  she  was  a  money-maker,  and  at  No. 
10  Clark  street  she  sang  for  board  of  trade  people  and 
members  of  the  Owl  Club  and  for  the  Elks,  and  had  lots  of 
friends;  that  he  could  get  $500  from  her  almost  time; 
shortly  after  this  he  took  her  to  my  house  to  live;  on  one 
occasion  I  saw  him  at  the  door  of  a  closet  waiting  to  get 
such  money  as  she  might  obtain  in  my  house;  Madeline 
used  to  sing  and  play  upon  the  piano,  harp,  and  guitar; 
while  she  was  with  me  I  did  not  keeper  hire  musicians; 
when  she  was  not  there  I  did;  she  used  to  make  most 
money  during  the  races,  when  she  would  sing  and  play  for 
wine  parties;  she  thought  a  great  deal  of  Charlie,  but  when 
he  called  for  her,  took  her  out  for  a  ride,  and  she  came  back 
minus  her  money  she  became  convinced  that  he  was  after 
her  money  alone;  then  she  grew  melancholy;  this  was  in- 
tensified when  he  began  to  gamble  and  drink  excessively; 
on  one  occasion  he  came  to  the  house  and  broke  in  the  door 
of  her  room;  was  drunk;  Madeline  got  into  a  scuffle  with 
him  when  he  fell  down  stairs;  immediately  after  this  she 
had  made  for  herself  a  dress  upon  which  there  were  snakes 
and  various  reptiles,  (dress  introduced  in  evidence)  thinking 
that  by  having  before  him  the  hideous  sights  which  he  saw 


STUIILA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  119 

in  bis  delirium  he  would  refrain  from  drinking,  but  this  did 
not  accomplish  anything,  so  she  tried  to  charm  him  by  cer- 
tain powders  with  like  result;  she  would  often  play  on  the 
piano  and  sing,  and  in  the  next  moment  she  would  cry; 
when  she  had  her  "  monthlies"  and  was  vexed  at  something 
Charlie  did  to  her,  she  was  very  bad  and  seemed  out  of  her 
mind." 

Cross-examined : 

"  All  sorts  of  people  come  to  my  house — statesmen,  law- 
yers and  judges;  yes,  I  have  taken  considerable  interest  in  the 
case  of  the  defendant  and  have  paid  short-hand  reporter  ex- 
penses; the  defendant  is  perhaps  quick-tempered." 

Mrs.  Bridget  Harvey  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stiles,  the  defendant,  came  to  my  house 
about  the  1st  of  April  last;  he  hired  the  rooms  and  said  he 
wanted  them  for  himself  and  wife;  they  lived  quietly  so  far 
as  I  knew;  on  July  9th,  between  9  and  10  o'clock  A.  M. 
Mr.  Stiles  went  out;  about  11  o'clock  a  messenger  boy  came 
with  a  note  which  Mrs.  Stiles  read  and  said  to  me,  '  see 
what  Charlie  writes;'  she  was  excited  and  asked  me  to  send 
some  one  with  her  to  find  him;  I  sent  a  servant;  they  found 
him.  and  all  returned  home;  in  the  evening  Charlie  and  the 
defendant  went  out  riding;  at  about  12  o'clock  she  returned 
home  alone  and  rapped  at  my  bed-room  door,  which  I 
opened;  lit  the  gas,  when  she  said  '  I  have  got  a  pistol,  and 
if  he  attacks  me  I  will  kill  him;'  she  was  wet,  muddy,  and 
unwell;  she  asked  me  to  sleep  with  her,  which  I  did;  dur- 
ing the  night  she  awoke;  talked  wildly;  told  me  she  was 
not  married  to  Charlie;  I  told  her  that  I  was  surprised; 
that  she  and  he  would  have  to  move  from  the  house;  she 
complained  of  being  in  pain;  at  6  o'clock  in  the  morning 
when  I  awoke  she  was  gone  and  the  room  was  in  disorder; 
her  and  his  trunk  had  been  opened  and  the  contents  were 
scattered  all  over  the  room ;  the  next  I  saw  of  her  was  at 


120  STUBLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

the  station  after  Stiles  had  been  killed;  I  saw  her  neck;  it 
bore  the  mark  of  fingers  upon  it;  she  was  then  unwell; 
looked  unnatural,  talked  incoherently." 
v  Cross-examined: 

"  She  was  excited  at  the  time  she  went  to  bed;  I  did  not 
tell  Richard  Stiles,  the  uncle  of  Charles,  that  I  saw  the 
marks  on  the  neck  after  she  came  home  on  Sunday  night; 
in  the  room  next  to  this  court-room  I  had  a  consultation 
with  Dr.  Lyman,  Dr.  Brown  and  Mr.  Trude  about  the  facts 
of  the  case;  this  was  to-day;  I  did  not  tell  Mr.  B.  D.  Stiles 
that  the  marks  on  her  neck  were  there  when  she  came  home 
from  Sunny  side." 

Joseph  Chesterfield  Mackin  sworn,  examined  by  Mr. 
Trude: 

"  Am  journalist;  had  business  with  Charles  Stiles  in  1880; 
called  at  his  room;  saw  defendant  there;  her  hand  was 
covered  with  a  cloth;  I  asked  her  what  was  the  matter; 
she  commenced  to  tell  me  of  her  troubles,  and  it  appeared 
that  a  revival  of  them  so  affected  her  that  she  fell  on  the 
floor  in  a  violent  fit;  frothed  at  the  mouth;  have  seen  per- 
sons affected  with  apoplectic  fits  and  should  say  that  de- 
fendant had  one  on  occasion  referred  to." 

Cross-examination  waived. 

TENTH    DAY DEC.  1st. 

Dr.  James  H.  Bates  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude : 
"  Am  a  physician  and  surgeon.  Have  attended  the  de- 
fendant more  or  less  for  about  three  years  past;  treated 
her  on  the  occasion  when  she  had  the  tooth  knocked  out 
and  when  she  received  the  kick  in  the  side.  From  that 
time  she  suffered  from  difficult  menstruation,  or  as  you 
term  it,  dysmenorrhea.  When  she  had  trouble  with  her 
lover  at  the  menstrual  period  she  acted  and  was  partially 
or  wholly  insane.  Her  excitement  was  variable,  severe 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  121 

when  she  claimed  to  have  been  mistreated  just  before, 
often  almost  delirious.  The  pain  \vas  paroxysmal  in 
character,  that  is,  there  were  cessations  and  renewals  qf. 
severity,  and  her  mental  disturbance  was  always  marked. 
Sometimes  she  was  unnaturally  gay  and  lively,  and  at 
other  times  melancholly  and  morose  and  uncommunica- 
tive. Her  depressions  of  spirit  had  become  more  aggra- 
vated within  the  year.  There  were  all  the  conditions  pres- 
ent that  might  produce  homicidal  mania.  Have  known  of 
that  result  within  my  own  practice.  One  Mrs.  Martin, 
under  similar  condition,  became  excited  to  homicidal 
mania,  attempting  to  slay  her  husband  and  children  at 
various  times.  It  became  so  marked  that  her  relatives  al- 
ways took  extra  precautions  to  prevent  her  injuring  them 
as  such  times  recurred.  There-  was  also  among  my 
patients  a  woman  whose  mania  similarly  produced  was 
suicidal.  •  The  close  sympathy  of  the  brain  and  reproduc- 
tive organs  is  universally  recognized  by  medical  men. 
Maniacal  alienation  is  more  likely  to  result  in  the  case  of  a 
person  of  a  naturally  nervous  and  sensitive  organization." 

In  reply  to  question  by  Mr.  Trude,  stated  that  great  de- 
liberation and  considerable  cunning  were  characteristics 
of  insane  persons.  He. thought  the  fact  of  her  living  in  a 
house  of  ill-fame  would  greatly  strengthen  the  theory  of 
insanity.  He  had  known  of  persons  becoming  insane 
under  repeated  brutality.  He  thought  it  almost  impossible 
for  any  woman  suffering  from  aggravated  dysmenorrhea  to 
be  sane  at  her  menstrual  periods.  It  would  be  almost  mir- 
aculous for  her  to  be  so. 

He  had  treated  defendant  at  the  station  on  the  10th  of 
July;  she  was  sick — had  her  menses;  must  have  had  them 
the  night  before.  The  fact  of  defendant  having  her  menses 
and  exposed  in  a  severe  rain  storm,  associated  with  mental 
anguish,  trouble  and  physical  pain,  it  is  more  than  likely 


122  STUMA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

that  she  was  insane  when  the  shot  that  killed  Charles  Stiles 
was  fired  by  defendant.  All  the  things  that  she  suffered 
are  predisposing  causes  of  insanity,  and  when  all  those 
causes  were  combined  in  one  person,  and  that  person  a 
woman,  sanity  would  be  the  exception  and  insanity  the  rule. 
Mr.  Mills  cross-examined  as  to  the  number  of  times  the 
witness  had  seen  defendant  professionally,  and  learned  that 
between  calls  and  visits  he  had  seen  her  perhaps  fifteen 
times. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
MR  MILLS'  HYPOTHETICAL  QUESTION. 

The  following  question,  embodying  all  that  the  prosecution 
has  shown  or  hopes  to  prove  touching  the  tragedy,  was 
asked  by  the  State's  Attorney: 

"  Suppose  the  case  of  a  young  woman  22  or  23  years  of 
age;  at  the  age  of  15  she  becomes  a  prostitute  in  a  South- 
ern city;  four  or  five  years  ago  she  forms  the  acquaintance 
of  a  young  man  of  Chicago ;  he  brings  her  here  and  they 
live  together  as  man  and  mistress;  she  lives  part  of  the 
time  in  houses  of  ill-fame;  suppose  that  she  is  naturally 
nervous;  her  parents  Italian;  that  she  is  afflicted  with  dif- 
ficult menstruation ;  that  the  relations  of  the  two  are  not 
always  pleasant;  that  he  sometimes  struck  her;  that  on  the 
9th  of  July  a  letter  is  handed  to  her  from  the  man;  that 
she  read  it  and  said,  '  I  will  take  his  life,  I  had  rather  die 
than  live  here  in  this  way;'  that  the  two  meet  affection- 
ately the  next  day  and  drive  to  Sunnyside  and  take  sup- 
per; that  some  misunderstanding  arises;  some  violence 
perhaps  takes  place;  he  leaves  his  mistress  and  drives  to 
his  hotel;  she  remains  at  the  road-house  calm  and  resolute 
and  says,  'I  am  going  to  the  Palmer  House  and  kill  him; ' 
she  comes  to  the  city;  a  revolver  is  bought,  the  woman 
paying  for  it;  she  returns  again  to  the  pawnshop  and 
pledges  a  silk  dress  to  obtain  money;  she  returns  to  her 
room ;  she  is  angry,  excited  and  complains  of  the  treatment 
she  has  received;  her  clothing  and  shoes  are  wet  and  mud- 
dy and  she  is  excessively  nervous.  In  the  morning  she 
dresses  herself  carefully ;  takes  the  revolver  and  walks  to 


124  STUELA-STELES   TEAGEDY. 

the  Palmer  House;  takes  the  elevator;  goes  to  room  660; 
feigns  the  voice  of  a  boy,  calling  out  'messenger,  mess- 
enger; '  Stiles  opens  the  door  and  within  four  minutes  two 
shots  are  heard;  Stiles  falls  on  the  floor  moaning  '  Murder ! ' 
she  stands  there  like  a  statute  and  says,  'I  said  I  would  do 
it,  I  came  here  to  do  it,  and  I  am  glad  of  it,  even  though  I 
swing  for  it;'  afterward  6he  is  seen  kissing  his  face  and 
claims  that  Stiles  had  tried  to  force  her  from  the  room;  she 
is  cool  and  collected  until  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  after 
the  shooting,  when  she  becomes  excited  and  nervous;  as- 
suming these  facts,  what  do  you  say  of  the  sanity  or  in- 
sanity of  the  person  described  ?  " 

Dr.  Bates  replied: 

"  That  hypothetical  case  would,  of  course,  admit  of  analy- 
zation.  There  are  features  which  go  to  show  that  it  was 
beyond  the  control  of  the  party.  The  fact  of  her  planning 
the  homicide,  if  she  did  so,  going  to  the  Palmer  House  and 
committing  the  deed,  there  would  be  no  positive  evidence 
she  was  not  insane,  because  there  aro  so  many  insane  per- 
sons who  will  plan  with  a  great  deal  of  adroitness  to  com- 
mit suicide  or  commit  homicide,  or  do  whatever  the  im- 
pulse of  the  moment  dictates,  and  the  manner  of  the  party 
you  represent  at  the  Palmer  House  at  the  time  of  the  shoot- 
ing, her  cold,  calm  and  collected  statuary  appearance, 
might  go  to  show  that  there  was  a  mental  irresponsibility. 
Persons  who  have  committed  homicide  have  sometimes 
seemed  to  feel  a  great  relief  after  the  commission  of  the 
act;  their  mind  seemed  to  be  relieved  of  a  load  that  had 
been  resting  upon  it,  and  the  patient  will  experience  a 
great  sense  of  relief;  sometimes  they  sit  still  and  motion- 
less, and  it  is  a  long  time  before  they  realize  what  they  have 
done.  Again,  the  patient  may  suppose  that  he  or  she  was 
possessed  of  an  unconquerable  command  to  commit  such 
and  such  a  deed,  and  feel  that  they  themselves  were 


STUKLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 


125 


committing  the  deed  with  an  evil  spirit  taking  hold  of 
them." 

ELEVENTH  DAY — DEC.  2ND. 

Dr.  Thomas  Schmidt,  sworn 

"Am  a  graduate  of  the  university  of  Guttenberg  and 
afterward  at  the  Rush  Medical  College.  Have  had  five 
years'  Eui'opean  practice,  including  two  years  in  a  hospital 
for  the  insane,  and  have  practiced  thirty-one  years  in  this 
country.  Have  had  considerable  experience  in  insanity  in 
my  general  practice,  though  I  have  made  a  specialty  neither 
of  it  nor  of  the  diseases  of  women."  Described  functional 
diseases  of  women. 

Mr.  Trude  put  the  following  hypothetical  question: 

Assuming  that  a  girl  when  she  was  15  years  of  age  was 
seduced  by  an  individual  under  promise  of  marriage;  that 
this  individual  declined  to  marry  her;  that  she  lived  in  a 
house  ,  part  of  which  was  devoted  to  assignation  purposes; 
that  while  there  she  meets  Charles  Stiles;  the  woman  is  an 
Italian,  warm  and  devoted  in  her  attachments;  of  an  ardent 
and  passionate  disposition ;  Charles  Stiles  is  a  graduate  of 
Heidelberg;  speaks  the  Italian  language  fluently;  is  a  man 
given  to  luxurious  methods  of  living;  who  never  toiled  or 
labored,  or  was  never  known  to  so  far  as  we  know  or  have 
any  intimation  of,  except  to  perform  some  labors  that  did 
not  require  any  physical  exertion;  meets  this  woman;  talks 
to  her  in  her  native  tongue,  Italian,  and  gradually  and  sys- 
tematically alienates  her  from  her  affianced  lover,  she  then 
being  inexperienced  with.,  the  methods  of  the  world,  not 
very  well  educated,  and  kept  largely  in  the  house  while 
living  with  her  parents;  this  man  lives  with  her  in  this 
house  in  Baltimore;  takes  his  trunk  there;  borrows  her 
money;  gambles,  it,  and  spends  it  in  the  races;  she  is  a 
woman  passionately  fond  of  music;  has  an  exceedingly  full, 


126  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

rich  voice,  though  not  sufficiently  cultured;  plays  upon  the 
piano  skillfully,  and  also  upon  the  guitar  with  a  like  degree 
of  skill;  he  recognizes  in  her  these  qualities  and  causes  her 
to  come  to  Chicago;  that  before  she  arrives  he  paints  to 
her  in  glowing  colors  the  life  that  she  can  lead;  that  he  is 
a  prominent  man  there,  has  close  connections  with  the 
dramatic  press,  and  can  elevate  her  into  a  position  of  great 
prominence  upon  the  stage  and  in  the  lyric  art;  she  comes 
to  Chicago,  and  the  second  day  after  she  arrives,  while  they 
are  joint  occupants  of  a  bed,  he  gets  out,  takes  her  money; 
she  pursues,  supposing  it  to  be  a  burglar,  and  calls  to  her 
sleeping  lover  as  she  supposes,  and  she  is  confronted  at  the 
head  of  the  stairs  and  is  knocked  down  by  him,  which  is  the 
first  evidence  that  she  had  of  his  brutal  treatment;  that 
night  is  spent  by  her  in  walking  up  and  down  the  room, 
talking  incoherently;  she  faints  and  is  affected  by  mania; 
that  she  is  prostrated  for  several  days  upon  a  bed  of  sick- 
ness, her  difficulties  partaking  more  of  a  mental  than  of  a 
physical  nature;  that  from  that  time  there  was  a  series  of 
acts  of  brutal  treatment  continuing  over  a  period  of  five 
years;  that  on  one  occasion  she  was  knocked  down  by  him 
on  the  public  highway,  and  he  is  restrained  from  using  vio- 
lence by  the  interposition  of  a  police  officer,  who  takes  a 
pistol  away  from  him ;  on  another  occasion  she  is  prevented 
from  being  knocked  down  by  a  bottle  held  by  him — at  this 
time  he  threatens  to  kill  her, — by  the  interposition  of  an- 
other individual  who  happens  to  be  present;  that  on  an- 
other occasion  she  is  knocked  down  and  kicked  by  him  in 
the  face  and  one  of  the  teeth  knocked  out  or  broken;  that 
she  is  kicked  in  the  abdomen;  that  shortly  after  this  she  is 
kicked  in  the  side,  so  that  whenever  there  is  a  menstrual 
flow  and  the  organs  become  enlarged,  there  is  a  preceptible 
swelling  in  this  vicinity  which  appears  and  disappears  once 
every  month;  that  at  another  time  he  introduces  her  to  a 


BTURLA-STILES  TRAGED?  127 

person  by  the  name  of  Baxter,  and  severa*  other  persons 
connected  with  the  Board  of  Trade  and  with  a  club  called 
the  Owl  Club,  in  order  that  she  might  entertain  by  singing 
and  playing  on  the  piano  and  guitar,  and  selling  to  them 
wine,  the  end  and  object  of  which  was  that  he  might  re- 
ceive money  thereby;  that  the  money  thus  earned  by  her 
was  given  to  him ;  that  he  gambled  the  same  at  faro  banks 
and  other  games  of  chance;  that  he  wrote  to  her  promising 
faithfully  to  gamble  no  more,  and  claimed  that  if  he  could 
not  overcome  his  strong  passions  for  gambling  then  he 
would  commit  suicide,  and  that  she  believed  him,  when  he 
obtained  from  her  more  money;  that  he  again  gambled,  and 
between  three  or  four  days  after,  while  in  a  drunken  con- 
dition, he  comes  to  her  rooms,  has  an  altercation  with  her, 
when  a  person  interferes,  and  they  are  both  knocked  down 
by  Stiles;  that  thereupon  this  person  gives  her  a  pistol  and 
advises  her  to  defend  herself;  that  he  writes  her  a  letter  in 
which  he  asks  her  to  be  forgiven;  that  in  the  meantime  he 
associates  with  other  women ;  that  while  his  brutal  conduct, 
and  his  constant  and  unremitting  draft  upon  her  for  money, 
and  his  neglect  of  her  weighed  heavily  upon  her  mind,  yet 
liaisons  with  other  women  affected  her  mind  more  than  all 
other  agencies  combined;  that  he  writes  her  a  letter  in 
which  he  tells  her  that  he  is  a  burned  child  who  dreads  the 
fire,  and  in  effect  says  that  he  will  leave  wine,  women,  hacks, 
and  gambling  alone  and  be  constant  to  her,  and  signs  him- 
self "  contritely  yours,  Charlie;"  that  this  communication 
is  followed  by  a  visit  from  him;  that  he  persuades  her  to 
purchase  No.  10  Clark  street,  a  place  to  which  he  would  di- 
rect the  attention  of  his  many  friends  connected  with  the 
Board  of  Trade  and  Owl  and  other  clubs  to  which  he  be- 
longed; that  they  could  make  considerable  money;  that  she 
did  as  requested;  that  he  would  remain  in  a  peaceful  con- 
dition until  she  had  accumulated  monev,  when  he  would 


128  STURL V-STILE3   TRAGEDY. 

demand  the  same,  and  on  being  refused  would  knock  her 
down;  that  on  one  occasion  he  took  her  to  Elgin  and  then 
to  Aurora,  and  when  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Fox  river  he 
threw  her  out  of  the  phseton  in  which  they  were  riding, 
upon  her  declining  to  give  him  what  money  she  had  on  her 
person;  that  she  started  toward  Aurora  upon  the  determi- 
nation of  finding  her  way  home  as  best  she  could,  when  he, 
not  content,  pursued  her  and  ran  the  pole  of  the  vehicle 
against  her  person,  when  she,  in  self  protection,  drew  her 
pistol  which  she  had  upon  her  person,  and  which  was  her 
companion  on  all,  or  nearly  all  of  her  trips  with  him,  when 
he  no  longer  persisted  in  his  attacks  upon  her;  that  when 
she  endeavored  to  climb  over  the  fence  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river,  when  she  fell  and  was  suspended  from  the 
fence  head  down,  when  she  was  relieved  and  peace  was 
maintained*  upon  her  surrendering  to  him  what  money  she 
had  upon  her  person,  when  he  took  her  back  to  the  town; 
that  on  another  occasion  while  entertaining  some  friends  of 
his  and  playing  upon  a  piano,  wearing  a  low-neck  dress  he 
pours  down  her  neck  some  wine,  and  upon  her  remonstrat- 
ing with  him  he  strikes  her  upon  the  head  with  a  bottle 
with  such  severity  that  the  services  of  a  physician,  Bates, 
are  called  in  requisition;  that  on  another  occasion  and  for 
the  same  purpose  of  obtaining  money  he  takes  her  to  drive 
in  Lincoln  park,  which  was  formerly  a  grave-yard,  that 
upon  his  asking  for  money  and  her  refusal,  she  was  thrown 
from  the  vehicle,  when  he  again  runs  his  horse  upon  her, 
and  she  fires  her  pistol  in  the  air,  which  frightens  the 
horses,  and  she  is  left  alone  in  the  darkness  in  the  grave- 
yard, and  finds  herself  in  the  vicinity  of  a  tomb;  alarmed, 
and  in  great  mental  agony  and  physical  pain,  she  wanders 
aimlessly  around  until  she  finds  herself  in  i«  swoon  or  fit; 
how  long  she  remained  in  that  condition  is  unknown;  when 
she  recovers  she  reaches  the  house  of  a  gentleman,  Mr. 


StURLA-STlLEiS  TRAGEDY.  129 

Itobey,  and  by  him  it  is  observed  from  her  clothing  and  ap- 
pearance that  she  has  fallen  down,  that  her  dress  is  covered 
with  burrs,  and  that  she  is  excited;  that  a  few  nights  after 
that  he  sends  her  a  letter  in  which  he  apologizes  for  his 
conduct,  employs  terms  and  expressions  of  affection,  asks 
for  forgiveness  and  $50;  that  he  obtains  both;  that  she 
lives  peacefully  until  she  obtains  a  few  hundred  dollars, 
when  he  takes  her  on  a  Thanksgiving  day  to  Sterling,  near 
the  place  where  his  parents  live;  that  they  went  to  a  fair, 
that  he  drank  brandy  and  persuaded  her  to  take  some ;  that 
in  the  night  time,  prompted  by  a  feeling  of  jealousy,  he 
awakened  her,  placed  a  pistol  to  her  head,  and  exacted  an 
admission  from  her  that  she  loved  him,  whereupon  she, 
alarmed,  got  out  of  bed  and  laid  upon  the  floor,  unable  to 
get  out  of  the  room,  by  reason  of  the  door  being  locked  and 
he  having  the  key ;  that  on  the  following  Christmas  he  beat 
her  and  obtained  her  money;  that  shortly  thereafter  he  came 
to  the  house  sick  with  a  venereal  disease,  which,  when  learned 
by  her,  affected  her  more  than  all  acts  of  brutallity  and  all 
monetary  exactions  by  him ;  that  on  this  occasion  he  was 
drunk;  that  she  drove  him  away  with  the  aid  of  a  pistol; 
that  on  another  occasion  he  assailed  her,  pulled  her  hair, 
and  bumped  her  head  against  the  wall,  when  a  little  boy, 
who  was  living  at  her  house,  being  educated  and  provided 
by  her,  alarmed  for  her  safety,  sent  for  the  police,  who, 
when  they  arrived,  were  commanded  by  Stiles  to  arrest  the 
victim  of  his  assault  as  well  as  himself,  which  the  officer  of 
the  law  accordingly  does;  that  she  procures  bail  for  herself, 
and  upon  being  addressed  by  him  in  tones  of  kindness,  she 
deposits  $50,  procures  his  liberation,  and  does  not  permit 
the  law  to  punish  him  or  affect  his  reputation;  that  she 
appears  and  takes  upon  herself  all  the  degradation  that 
attaches  to  a  police  court  prosecution,  pays  the  fine  and 
secures  the  discharge  of  her  lover;  that  on  another  occas- 
9 


130  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

ion,  when  she  went  to  hear  Salvini,  the  tragedian,  play,  she 
secured  a  box  at  the  theater,  concealed  herself  behind  a 
curtain,  when  she  was  knocked  down  by  him;  that  the 
noise  occasioned  thereby  attracted  the  attention  of  an 
usher,  she  makes  no  complaint,  but  apologizes  for  his  con- 
duct; that  she  provided  for  him  rooms  on  the  North  side, 
furnishes  the  same  at  her  own  expense,  places  therein  a 
piano  which  she  rents  from  Kimball,  and  nightly  visits 
him  at  that  place  for  the  reason  that  he  complained  of 
ringing  of  bells  at  the  bridge  which  is  located  in  the 
vicinity  of  No.  10  Clark  street,  where  they  had  been  in  the 
habit  of  sleeping;  that  nightly  accompanied  by  the  little 
boy,  called  Frank,  referred  to,  she  visits  him  at  this  place; 
that  at  another  time,  she  had  a  suite  of  rooms  at  another 
place;  that  she  gave  him  money  to  pay  his  board  there; 
that  he  took  her  out  for  a  hack  ride  and  beat  her  in  the 
hack,  and  when  asked  by  the  driver  what  the  trouble  was 
she  says,  "  It  is  all  over  now,  no  matter,"  that  he  is  left  at 
the  board  of  trade  and  she  is  left  to  go  home  alone;  that  a 
short  time  afterward  he  writes  her  a  letter  in  which  he  says 
he  is  in  hell's  hole,  asks  forgiveness  and  money  to  pay  his 
landlady,  a  back  bill  of  about  $60;  that  he  at  another  time 
takes  rooms  at  the  Palmer  house,  660  and  661;  that  he 
writes  for  her  to  visit  him  at  these  rooms  which  she  accord- 
ingly does;  that  on  one  occasion  he  beat  her  and  bruised 
her  to  such  an  extent  that  again  the  services  of  Dr.  Bates 
were  called  into  requisition;  that  his  conduct  on  one  of 
these  occasions  was  such  as  to  prompt  to  order  them  both 
from  the  hotel;  that  they  then  went  to  the  JEtna  house; 
that  she  paid  his  bill  of  $200  to  Kreigh  &  Davis;  that  he 
took  her  to  Milwaukee  and  while  there  obtained  all  her 
money;  that  in  May,  1881,  when  she  was  depleted  of  her 
money  with  her  jewels  pawned  for  his  benefit,  he  came 
back  to  her  and  persuaded  her  to  live  at  one  Carrie 


STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  131 

Watson's,  which  she  did,  and  sent  the  boy  Frank  to  live  on 
a  farm;  that  she  acted  while  living  at  said  house  as  musi- 
cian and  songstress  and  the  entertainer  of  wine  parties, 
chiefly;  that  upon  discovering  that  her  lover  was  waiting  in 
the  hall-way  or  under  the  stairway  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
room,  where  she  was  entertaining  company,  for  the  pur-< 
pose  of  obtaining  from  her  the  pioceeds  earned  or  ob- 
tained by  her  from  the  sources  and  in  the  manner  indi- 
cated, she  protested  against  his  want  of  manhood,  and  that 
he  was  using  her  simply  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  his 
monetary  wants,  and  on  other  occasions  to  gratify  his 
passions;  that  thereupon  he  knocked  her  down,  when  he. 
was  ordered  from  the  house;  that  he  remained  away  some 
little  time,  when  he  again  visited  the  house  in  the  cornpanr 
ionship  of  some  men  irom  the  Owl  club;  that  she  was 
persuaded  to  enter  a  hack,  and,  while  in  the  same  with 
him,  was  choked  and  beaten,  and  that  they  drove  to  a 
hotel  in  a  southern  suburb,  which,  on  account  of  the  late- 
ness of  the  hour,  was  closed;  that  when  on  their  way  back 
he  forced  her  from  the  hack,  pulled  her  hair,  and  knocked 
her  down,  and  was  proceeding  to  maltreat  her  when  the 
hackman,  Blair,  interposed  and  prevented  further  injury  to 
her;  that  then,  or  about  that  time,  she  surrendered  what 
money  she  had  and  again  went  back  to  the  house  referred 
to,  where  she  remained  a  short  time,  when  he  came  and 
pointed  a  pistol  at  her  and  forced  her  to  accompany  him 
to  a  hack  and  thence  to  a  depot,  when  they  went  to  various 
towns  and  cities,  where  her  money  was  spent  or  obtained 
by  him,  while  she  returned  to  said  place;  that  on  another 
occasion,  while  crossing  the  Mississippi  river  in  a  ferry- 
boat, between  Lyons  and  Fulton,  he  asks  her  for  her 
money,  tells  her,  on  her  declining  to  give  it  to  him,  that  he 
would  throw  her  in  the  river,  that  she  was  a  prostitute, 
and  in  effect  tells  her  that  there  is  no  law  that  would  affect 


132  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

him  if  no  Killed  her  on  account  of  her  being  a  prostitute 
that  the  law  placed  no  estimate  on  the  life  or  feelings  of 
such  a  person;  that  on  another  occasion,  when  she  learned 
he  had  been  making  some  money  on  the  board  of  trade, 
she  asked  him  for  the  repayment  of  some  of  the  various 
sums  which  she  had  given  to  him,  when  he  gave  her  what 
purported  to  be  $2,500  in  stocks;  that  she  learned  that  the 
same  was  of  no  value,  and  when  she  complained  of  that  he 
struck  her;  that  on  or  about  July  14,  1881,  she  went  to 
live  at  No.  371  Wabash  avenue,  and  rented  out  rooms  at 
that  place;  that  she  worked  in  the  kitchen  and  washed  his 
shirts,  and  was  contented  and  happy;  that  E.  B.  Stiles,  his 
father,  came  to  said  house,  and  largely  contributed,  by  his 
kind  and  affecti6nate  disposition,  to  her  happiness;  that 
said  E.  B.  Stiles  was  sick  the  day  upon  which  he  arrived, 
or  the  day  after,  was  very  sick,  indeed  dying;  that  she 
ministered  to  his  wants,  and  nightly  slept  at  the  foot  of  his 
bed;  that  the  wife  of  said  Stiles  during  this  period  of  sick- 
ness was  not  present,  and  took  no  part  in  his  treatment  or 
ministering  to  his  comfort  until  the  day  before  his  death; 
that  upon  his  decease  she  made  up  her  mind,  upon  being 
advised  by  the  mother  of  said  Stiles  to  live  separate  and 
apart  from  him,  to  obey  the  wish  of  said  mother;  that  she 
then  concluded  to  live  respectably,  rent  out  rooms,  and  by 
that  means  support  herself,  when  one  of  the  members  of 
said  family  told  her  she  could  not  stay  in  the  house;  that 
she  had  been  a  prostitute;  that  .she  would  make  that  fact 
known  to  the  landlord;  that  thereupon  she  became  low- 
spirited  and  greatly  disturbed  for  losing  an  opportunity  to 
live  a  life  that  she  became  attached  to  and  avoid  a  life  that 
she  disliked;  that  she  took  the  furniture  from  the  house, 
which  was  pvehased  partly  by  her  own  money,  and  the 
residue  purchased  by  her  lover,  who  had  gotten  large  sums 
of  money  from  her  many  times  in  excess  of  the  value  of 


STDRIA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  133 

the  furniture,  and  sold  it,  and  subsequently  gave  her  said 
lover  the   proceeds   thereof;    that   shortly  thereafter  she 
gave  her  lover  $200  in  gold  to  defray  the  funeral  expenses 
of  his  dead  father;    that  he  paid  a  portion  of  the  expenses, 
and  upon  her  being  informed  that  he  had  not  paid  the 
undertaker  in  full  she  remonstrated  with  him  for  failing  to 
do  so,  and  he  struck,  beat,  and  bruised  her;   that  on  or 
about  Sept.  1,  1881,  and  a  few  days  after  being  driven  from 
371  Wabash  avenue  in  the  manner  indicated,  she  went  to 
Carrie   Watson's,    and    determined  to  live   separate   and 
apart  from  her  said  lover,  when,  on  the  following  morning 
after  her  arrival  at  said  place,  her  lover,  together  with  his 
brother  Gene,  called  at  said  house;  that  on  that  night  he 
took  her  to  Downing's,  when  he  endeavored  to  take  a  ring 
from  her  finger  and  slapped  her  in  the  face;  that  in  Octo- 
ber, 1881,  he  sent  for  her  to  meet  him  in  Rochelle;  that 
she  did  so,  and  on  that  occasion  he  obtained  $300  from 
her  which  she  had  obtained  in  said  house  between  Septem- 
ber, 1881,  and  Oct.  26,   1881;    that  about  this  time  he 
wrote  to  her,  as  shown  by  letters  in  evidence,  and  asked 
her  to   aid  him  in  getting  his  position  as  caller  of  the 
call  board,   through  the   aid  of  a  doorkeeper;   that   she 
obeyed  his  directions  in  that  regard;   that  in  December, 
1881,  he  went  again  to  said  house  of  Watson's,  broke  the 
door  in,  and  forced  her  to  accompany  him  in  a  hack,  when 
he  assailed  her;  that  in  December,  1881,  he  came  to  the 
house  of  Watson,  referred  to,  in  an  intoxicated  condition, 
and  had  the  delirium  tremens,  in  which  he  fancied  he  saw 
snakes  and  other  reptiles;  that  thereupon  she  procured  a 
dress  upon  which  were  painted  snakes  and  lizards,  hoping 
that  when  he  saw  the  same  he  would  be  persuaded  to  quit 
drinking;  that  on  another  occasion  he  sends  for  her  to 
come  to  the  Palmer  house  on   the  pretense  of  his  being 
sick;  that  she  placed  her  pocket-book,  containing  her  money 


134  STUKLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

that  she  had  for  the  purpose  of  buying  a  cloak  for  herself, 
upon  a  table  with  her  gloves  and  hat;  that  a  rap  was 
heard  upon  the  door  adjacent,  when  she  was  sent  to  an- 
other room,  and  upon  her  return  her  pocket-book  was 
gone;  she  was  then  taken  to  the  closet  and  forced  into  the 
same,  and  was  told  to  go  to  hell;  that  thereupon  he  left 
the  room;  that  she  searched  for  him  in  vain  to  procure  the 
restoration  of  said  money;  that  thereupon  she  went  back 
and  cried,  feeling  sick  at  the  time;  that  she  took  the  saw- 
dust filling  of  a  pin-cushion  and  placed  it  in  the  bed  and 
threw  ink  upon  his  shirts;  that  she  went  back  to  Watson's, 
when  he,  a  day  or  two  afterward,  accompanied  by  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Owl  club,  demanded  admittance;  that  on  that 
occasion  she  gave  him  $20  and  begged  him  to  remain 
away  from  her,  that  she  wanted  nothing  whatever -to  do 
with  him,  and  upon  that  she  was  resolved;  that  she  saw 
little  of  him  until  April,  1882,  when  he  went  to  her  for  the 
purpose  of  having,  as  he  claimed,  her  attend  a  person  by 
the  name  of  Herrington,  who  was  sick  at  the  Palmer  house, 
after  which  her  said  lover  went  to  Watson's  and  remained 
there  several  days  and  several  nights;  that  on  this  occasion 
he  promised  reformation  and  that  he  would  treat  her 
kindly,  and  asked  that  she  live  with  him  as  husband  and 
wife;  that  at  this  time  she  had  accumulated  more  money 
than  at  any  other  period  during  her  residence  or  connec- 
tion with  the  house  of  Watson ;  that  she  had  lived  at  said 
house,  free  from  his  visits  and  exactions,  longer  than  at 
any  other  time;  that,  acting  on  his  suggestion,  she,  in  the 
early  part  of  April,  1882,  went  to  reside  in  a  suite  of  rooms 
at  Mrs.  Harvey's,  No.  290  Wabash  avenue;  that  from  that 
time  on  until  the  day  of  the  homicide  he  was  engaged  in 
studied  efforts  to  obtain  her  money  from  her,  and  obtained 
various  large  sums  of  money,  from  time  to  time,  until  the 
3d  day  of  July,  when  she  had  about  $760  left,  and  during 


8TUBLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  135 

ner  residence  at  said  Harvey's  house  all  that  she  purchased 
for  herself  was  a  little  blue  suit  and  a  bonnet  to  match; 
that  on  said  3d  day  of  July  she  received  word  from  him  to 
the  effect  that  he  was  going  to  leave  her,  and  that  she 
could  take  care  of  herself;  that  on  the  4th  of  July  she 
went  back  to  "NYatson's,  and  on  the  next  day,  the  5th,  he 
went  after  her  to  said  place,  takes  her  to  the  door  of  a 
hack,  strikes  her  in  the  neck  or  face,  and  knocks  her  into 
the  same;  that  while  on  the  road  he  took  said  money  away 
from  her,  allowing  her  to  retain  about  $GO;  that  when  he 
was  engaged  in  taking  the  money  away  she  screamed  and 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  hackman,  who  inquired  what 
the  matter  was,  when  she  stated  in  reply :  "  Nothing,  it 
is  all  over  now;"  that  in  connection  with  this  matter  the 
woman  exhibits  this  marked  trait  of  character,  that  when 
she  was  knocked  down  and  kicked  in  the  face  and  her 
tooth  broken  out,  and  discovered  by  the  colored  woman 
who  testified;  that  when  she  was  knocked  down  and  kicked 
in  the  abdomen,  and  again  in  the  side,  and  left  fainting 
upon  tli3  floor;  when  knocked  down  and  discovered  by  the 
colored  woman  Chase;  that  when  knocked  down  and  her 
hair  pulled  on  the  occasion  referred  to  by  the  boy  Frnnkie, 
ami  when  thrown  from  hacks  and  kicked,  and  when  knocked 
down  in  hacks,  when  assailed  in  hotels,  and  on  various 
other  occasions,  places  and  times,  she  would  never  permit 
any  person  to  call  to  account  or  punish  her  assailant,  or 
allow  the  employment  of  force  upon  him,  invariably  taking 
the  position  that  she  was  the  sole  sufferer  by  his  acts,  she 
alone  had  the  right  to  complain,  and  when  arrested  through 
his  instrumentality  and  upon  his  direction,  she  it  was  that 
procured  his  enlargement  and  exemption  from  punishment; 
that  further  in  this  connection,  that  no  matter  what  injur- 
ies he  had  inflicted  upon  her  person,  and  no  matter  how  he 
may  have  wounded  her  feelings,  insulting  her  womanhood. 


136  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

or  in  any  manner  outraging  her,  a  few  words  from  him 
spoken  in  terms  of  affection,  asking  forgiveness  and  forget- 
fulness,  would  cause  the  resumption  of  the  old  relations  or 
ardent  attachment  and  self-sacrifice  on  her  part;  that  he 
makes  repeated  promises  of  forbearance  in  the  exercise  of 
these  brutal  acts  upon  her  person,  takes  various  kinds  of 
oaths  acting  upon  her  suggestion,  sui  rounded  by  various 
circumstances,  and,  finally,  on  the  6th  day  of  July,  1882, 
he  takes  an  oath  and  swears  by  that  which  she  regards,  I 
care  not  for  the  purpose  of  this  question  whether  rightfully 
or  wrongfully,  as  the  most  sacred  that  he  could  take — 
swears  by  his  dead  father's  bones  and  by  his  memory  and 
by  his  kind  disposition  never  again  to  assail  her  in  any 
way,  and  she,  with  her  disposition  as  already  indicated  and 
described,  places  full  reliance  upon  that  statement  so  by 
him  made,  and  surrenders  all  the  money  that  she  had 
acquired  during  the  most  peaceful  and  tranquil  period  of 
her  jife;  that  when  her  last  dollar,  or,  at  least,  nearly  her 
last  dollar,  is  gone,  he,  three  days  after  taking  said  oath, 
takes  her  out  for  a  ride  about  six  miles  from  the  city  to  a 
place  called  Sunny  side;  that  while  on  the  way  he  asks  her 
for  money,  first  $1,500  and  then  $500;  she  declines  to  give 
him  any,  or,  rather,  she  says  she  has  none  to  give — nothing 
except  a  few  dollars — $50  or  $60;  that  while  on  the  way 
they  have  a  conversation,  wherein  she  asks  him  to  like  or 
love  her  for  herself,  and  not  for  her  money  or  her  qualities 
for  earning  money  or  to  satisfy  any  sensual  passion;  that 
during  all  this  time  she  is  under  the  dominion  and  control 
of  this  man,  yielding  at  all  times  and  upon  all  occasions  a 
pliant  obedience  to  his  slightest  wish;  that  while  at  Sunny- 
side  her  spirits  are  buoyant;  she  is  pleasant  to  the  old 
people  near  her,  plays  upon  the  piano;  they  have  a  discus- 
sion in  which  he  asks  for  money;  he  leaves  her  at  Sunny- 
side,  six  miles  from  town ;  she  starts  with  a  boy,  a  young 


RTTTRT.A-aTTT.KS    TRAGEDY.  137 

lad — ana  in  this  connection  I  will  state  she  had  a  marked 
trait  in  her  life  of  attaching  herself  to  boys;  that  on  0110 
occasion  she  takes  a  lad  from  the  street,  a  bootblack,  sends 
him  to  school,  and  when  her  own  adversities  drove  her 
from  this  home,  wherein  this  boy  lived  with  her,  so  that  it 
became  necessary  for  her  to  go  to  a  house  of  ill-fame  in 
obedience  with  the  direct  request  and  in  the  company  and 
companionship  of  this  lover,  she  then  commits  this  boy  to 
the  care  and  custody  of  a  farmer,  where  he  would  be  free 
from  the  influences  that  surrounded  her  and  marked  her 
life;  that  she,  in  company  with  this  boy  at  Sunnyside,  not 
thinking  of  taking  a  carriage,  comes  to  town  in  a  violent 
storm,  in  the  mud  and  rain,  in  the  night  time,  passing  sev- 
eral graveyards  while  coming;  that  she  then  and  there  is 
afflicted  with  this  disease  called  dysmenorrhea;  that  she 
had  upon  her  person  this  other  complaint,  which  caused 
the  swelling  referred  to;  that  she  carried  in  her  head  a 
brain  that  had  been  tortured  by  successive  agonies,  over 
the  time  indicated  by  me;  that  she  was  wet,  cold  and 
chilled  through  in  consequence  of  the  storm  through  which 
she  passed;  that  she  was  menstruating;  that  the  evidence 
of  her  menstrual  period  passed  down  her  body,  saturated 
her  stockings,  and  partially  filled  her  shoes;  that  in  her 
journey  through  the  mud  and  rain  on  that  lonely  road  she 
was  delirious  and  saw  in  her  delusion  and  delirium  the 
faces  of  old  friends  that  had  died ;  that  the  next  thing  she 
remembered  was  being  raced  around  the  room  by  her 
lover;  that  she,  however,  in  company  of  the  boy  and  a 
man.  goes  to  a  pawnbroker's  shop  on  Clark  street, 
kept  by  a  lady,  and  in  that  shop  the  man  does  the 
talking,  and  she  simply  pays  the  money;  while  there  she 
talks  par.ly  in  Italian  to  a  man  who  does  not  understand 
the  language  and  to  a  lady  that  does  not  understand  it,  and 
walks  up  and  down  the  pawnshop,  talking  incoherently, 


138  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

with  a  wild  and  unnatural  expression  of  the  eye;  that  short- 
ly after  that,  getting  her  pistol,  she  passes  down  State  street, 
and  finally  she  goes  to  the  room  at  Mrs.  Harvey's,  where 
they  had  jointly  lived  together  as  man  and  wife;  that  she 
reaches  the  house  in  the  night,  in  the  condition  described, 
and  in  such  a  state  of  mental  excitement  that  she  desires 
the  landlady  to  accompany  her  to  her  room  for  fear  that 
she  might  do  violence  to  her  companion  if  he  were  there; 
that  during  the  same  night  her  menstrual  flow  is  arrested; 
that  she  is  still  further  agitated  by  the  information  that  she 
must  leave  the  house;  that  she  begs  her  landlady  not  to 
leave  her,  and  she  passes  a  night  of  headache  and  great  phy- 
sical pain  and  wakefulness;  that  the  landlady  is  obliged  to 
awaken  her  son  at  6  A.  M.,  and  being  very  sleepy,  falls 
asleep  in  that  son's  room ;  that  when  she  awakes  about  6 :30 
A.  M.  she  returns  to  the  room  occupied  by  the  defendant, 
finds  it  in  a  condition  of  most  extraordinary  disorder,  lead- 
ing her  to  exclaim  that  it  must  be  the  work  of  an  insane 
person,  and  the  defendant  has  disappeared,  having  left  the 
house;  that  she  wanders  to  the  room  of  her  lover,  No.  GGO 
Palmer  House,  where  she  had  often  been  before  at  his  so- 
licitation; that  when  first  seen  at  the  Palmer  House  she  ap- 
pears calm,  collected,  and  yet  incoherent,  soon  becoming 
nervous  and  excited;  that  when  seen  by  her  physician  he 
ascertained  that  she  had  experienced  a  cessation  of  the 
menses,  but  that  they  had  at  length  returned;  that  the  im- 
pression produced  upon  those  who  conversed  with  her  was 
that  her  language  was  incoherent,  and  that  she  did  not 
seem  to  appreciate  her  situation;  that  she  goes  into  his 
room  and  they  talk,  and  he  grasps  her  by  the  throat;  she 
shoots  him,  he  falls  in  the  hall  and  dies,  that  while  in  the 
hall  she  bends  over  and  kisses  him;  she  tells  persons  that 
she  shot  him;  that  she  was  glad  of  it ;  exults,  if  you  choose, 
that  she  has  dene  it;  she  kisses  him,  goes  with  the  officer, 


StURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  139 

wrings  her  hands;  there  are  involuntary  twitchings  of  the 
muscles  of  her  face  in  the  frontal  regions;  she  accompanies 
the  officer  to  the  morgue,  and  on  the  way  asks  him  if  he  has 
a  pistol;  she  subsequently  goes  to  the  morgue  and  kisses 
the  face  of  her  lover,  or  the  lips  of  her  lover;  that  her  face 
is  deadly  pale,  the  pupils  of  her  eyes  are  dilated;  as  she 
walks  with  the  officer  she  talks  incoherently;  she  asks  him 
if  there  is  a  woman  at  the  station;  she  wants  to  see  a 
woman,  refraining  from  telling  the  reason;  she  goes  to  the 
station,  and  there  it  is  discovered  that  her  menses  have 
again  resumed,  or  the  reproductive  organs  are  again  per- 
forming their  natural  functions — in  other  words,  that  she  is 
flowing;  that  she  is  hysterical  while  confined  in  the  cell; 
that  she  talks  disjointedly,  disconnectedly,  and  hysterically; 
that  on  all  occasions  her  conduct  had  been  characterized  by 
a  preponderance  of  the  emotional  element  and  a  correspond- 
ing deficiency  of  the  rational,  as  illustrated  by  her  abject 
compliance  with  all  the  desires  of  her  lover,  in  spite  of  his 
most  brutal  treatment,  and  as  further  illustrated  by  the 
eccentric  notion  that  she  could,  by  wearing  a  dress  painted 
with  snakes  and  reptiles,  reclaim  him  from  habits  of  intem- 
perance, and  that  by  feeding  him  with  powdered  loadstone 
she  could  permanently  secure  his  affection;  that,  further- 
more, this  person  had  been  for  at  least  three  years  subject 
to  exceedingly  painful  and  disordered  menstruation,  accom- 
panied by  excitement  of  the  mind,  incoherent  language,  and 
disorderly  movement,  necessitating  frequent  medical  attend- 
ance; that  on  at  least  one  occasion  she  has  suffered  a  con- 
vulsive attack,  which  was  supposed  to  have  been  an  epilep- 
tic fit;  that  while  confined  in  the  jail  her  monthly  sickness 
has  always  been  accompanied  by  painful  disturbances  of 
sensation,  intellection,  and  motion,  and  that  between  the 
periods  of  menstruation  she  has  been  for  a  year  past  suffer- 
ing with  fits  of  melancholy  that  have  gradually  increased  in. 


140  STDBLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

intensity  and  duration  as  the  year  has  rolled  on;  that  dur- 
ing the  course  of  her  trial  she  experienced  a  fit,  character- 
ized by  sudden  paleness  succeeding  complete  suffusion  of 
the  face,  by  a  characteristic  outcry,  fall  upon  the  floor,  con- 
vulsion, insensibility,  dilation  of  the  pupils,  loss  of  sensibil- 
ity of  the  conjunctiva,  staring  eyes,  followed  by  conjugated 
deviation  of  the  eye-balls,  with  unconsciousness,  continuing 
for  at  least  an  hour;  that  awakening  she  had  no  recollec- 
tion or  consciousness  of  what  occurred  during  the  interval 
since  the  commencement  of  the  attack;  that  she  passed  the 
night  in  a  state  of  delirium,  and  that  by  common  consent 
she  was  incapable  of  appearing  for  trial  the  next  day — what 
would  you  say  as  to  whether  or  not,  when  she  fired  that 
shot,  she  was  legally  sane  or  insane  ? 

"  I  should  certainly  consider  her  insane,"  Dr.  Schmidt 
replied.  "  It  is  impossible  for  a  woman  to  be  in  the  con- 
dition described  and  not  be  mentally  affected.  Not  only 
that,  but  the  very  fact  that  a  woman  should  subject  herself 
to  the  brutalities  named,  so  long,  I  should  regard  as  a  very 
strong  additional  proof.  Persons  possessed  of  their  reason 
always  have  some  motive  for  their -actions.  "What  motive 
had  she?  She  was  persuaded  that  he  no  longer  loved  her; 
that  he  wanted  only  her  money;  that  continuance  with  him 
meant  progressive  degradation.  If  there  had  been  any 
such  material  hope  as  that  she  would  receive  money  or 
other  consideration  in  the  future  as  a  reward  for  present 
endurance,  it  might  have  been  regarded  as  a  symptom  of 
sanity.  It  did  not  exist,  however;  and  when,  after  years  of 
endurance  of  abuses,  she  in  a  time  of  excitement  such  as 
she  suffered  from,  had  she  shot  her  lover,  without  the  slight- 
est violence  or  provocation,  I  should  have  regarded  it  as  the 
act  of  an  insane  person.  If  she  was  insane,  it  made  no  dif- 
ference what  she  said  before  or  after  the  killing." 

Mr.  Mills  cross-examined  witness,  eliciting  an  affirmative 


8TURLA.-STILES  TRAGEDY.  141 

answer  to  the  question :  "  Do  you  base  your  opinion  upon 
what  was  said  in  the  question  of  the  counsel  ?"  and  that 
witness  had  no  knowledge  whatever,  other  than  that  de- 
rived from  the  testimony  he  had  heard,  the  question,  and 
what  he  had  read  in  the  newspapers. 

Dr.  William  H.  Byford  sworn: 

"  Am  a  graduate  of  Ohio  Medical  College  and  have  prac- 
ticed my  profession  in  this  city  since  1857;  am  a  professor 
of  gynaeology  in  Rush  Medical  College,  and  am  consulting 
surgeon  for  diseases  of  women  in  the  South  Side  Woman's 
Hospital.  Have  treated  women's  diseases  for  forty  years, 
and  have  written  three  works  on  such  diseases  which  are 
considered  as  authority.  The  symptoms  of  dysmenorrhea 
often  affect  the  head  and  nerve  centers,  affecting  sensibil- 
ity, mobility,  and  mind.  There  is  no  uniformity  in  the  symp- 
toms consequent  upon  sudden  suppression,  differing  in  dif- 
ferent persons,  and  might  be  either  mental  or  reflex.  It  fre- 
quently produces  insanity.  Any  aggravating  treatment  by 
a  loved  one,  disappointment,  etc.,  would  tend  to  aggravate 
the  disturbance.  What  tendency  the  maniacal  excitement 
might  have,  could  not  be  predicted,  as  it  would  depend 
upon  the  character  and  temperament  of  the  person  affected. 

It  is  true  that  the  persons  so  affected  have  often  assailed 
with  homicidal  intent  those  they  loved  best,  though  no  such 
cases  have  occurred  in  my  practice." 

Mr.  Trude  caused  to  be  road  hypothetical  question  of  the 
defense. 

"I  should  say  she  was  insane." 

Mr.  Mills  cross-examined  witness  and  read  his  hypothet- 
ical question.  The  Doctor  said  in  reply  that  on  the  facts 
embodied  in  that  question  she  was  sane,  there  was  such 
nervousness  shown  in  it. 

Dr.  Fayette  Weller  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

"  Have  practiced  medicine  since  1854  in  Cook  county; 


142  STURLA-8TILE8   TRAGEDY. 

have  had  large  experience  in  female  diseases;  having  heard 
hypothetical  question  as  propounded,  have  no  doubt  that 
the  defendant  was  insane  before,  at  the  time  of,  and  since 
the  homicide,  as  I  prefer  to  term  it,  was  legally  insane,  suf- 
fering from  transitory  mania;  was  called  to  attend  defend- 
ant the  first  day  of  the  trial,  when  she  fainted;  at  that  time 
the  abdominal  swelling  resulting  from  former  violence,  was 
very  perceptible ;  that,  of  course,  aggravated  her  functional 
derangement;  half  the  cases  of  female  insanity  result  from 
such  causes." 

Dr.  E.  W.  Jenks  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 
"  Am  physician  and  superintendent  of  insane  asylum  at 
Geneva;  have  had  considerable  experience  in  treating 
women  for  diseases  of  the  reproductive  organs;  I  have  heard 
read  the  hypothetical  question  of  the  prisoner,  and  from 
the  facts  stated  therein,  assuming  them  all  to  be  facts,  I 
should  say  the  prisoner  was  insane  at  the  time  of  the  firing 
of  the  shot  on  the  10th  of  July,  1882." 

The  same  question  was  put  to  Dr.  A.  Gugoris  and  Dr.  L. 
Dodge,  who  answered  in  the  affirmative. 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 
TWELFTH  DAY— DECEMBER  4th,  1882. 

The  testimony  of  the  defendant,  Carlotta  Theressa  Stur- 
lata,  was  taken  verbatim  by  Arnold  Pearce,  Esq.,  a  journal- 
ist of  more  than  a  local  reputation  and  now  connected  with 
the  Chicago  Times.  The  testimony  thus  taken  is  accurate, 
as  is  evidenced  by  the  stenographer's  notes.  We  only 
adopt  his  comments  on  a  thrilling  situation  in  connection 
with  the  evidence  as  given.  The  testimony  was  reported 
in  The  Times  December  5,  1882. 

"  If  Zolo  desires  the  fabric  for  another  story, 
«  Let  him  follow  this  recital." 

Carlotta  Theressa  Sturlatta  sworn,  and  examined  by  Mr. 
Trude: 

The  prisoner,  whose  face  had  been  uncovered  in  the  court 
for  the  first  time,  arose  from  her  seat  and  entered  the  wit- 
ness chair.  She  was  dressed,  as  usual,  in  black,  a  crepe 
veil  enveloping  her  head,  and  from  beneath  the  folds  of 
which  protruded  small  curls  styled  "  widow's  locks."  Her 
face  was  pale — almost  of  an  ashen  hue, — and  the  dark, 
pretty  eyes,  fringed  with  darker  lashes  and  brows,  looked  a 
deeper  black  from  contrast.  Her  forehead  was  slightly 
wrinkled  with  a  frown  of  thoughtfulness  or  pain.  In  her 
hand  she  held  a  plain  white  handkerchief,  which  she  now 
and  then  applied  to  her  eyes  or  nervously  twirled  in  her 
fingers.  Her  gloves  were  removed  from  her  hands  and  laid 
in  her  lap.  With  every  eye  in  the  court-room  on  her,  and 
every  ear  intent  on  each  syllable,  she  began  the  story  of 
her  sufferings,  love  and  crime. 


144  8TUKLA-STTLE8   TRAGEDY. 

"My  name  is  Carlotta  Theressa  Sturlata;  I  lived  at 
home  in  Baltimore  first,  and  afterward  at  the  house  of  Mrs. 
Fay;  I  have  no  home  now;  I  first  met  Charles  Stiles  in 
Baltimore,  at  Mrs.  Fay's,  in  1877;  I  had  been  placed  there 
by  the  man  who  seduced  me,  and  was  living  as  his  mistress 
under  promise  of  marriage;  it  was  during  the  races  that  I 
first  met  Charles  Stiles;  I  was  sitting  at  the  piano  playing 
and  singing  when  Charlie  was  introduced  to  me;  he  talked 
Italian  to  me  and  visited  me  very  often;  my  lover  became 
jealous  and  refused  to  fulfill  his  promise  of  marriage;  Char- 
lie then  stopped  there  with  me;  he  went  away  with  the 
races,  but  returned  in  July;  he  had  lost  all  his  money  on 
the  races,  and  had  none  when  he  came  back;  he  brought 
his  trunk  to  the  house  and  lived  with  me;  I  gave  him  $200 
to  bet  on  the  races;  when  he  was  away  he  would  write  lov- 
ing letters  to  me,  sometimes  ask  ng  for  money,  which  I 
would  send  him;  then  he  began  to  write  persuading  me  to 
come  to  Chicago;  I  came,  and  he  promised  to  make  me  his 
wife;  this  was  in  June,  1878,  and  I  lived  at  52  Eldridge 
court;  the  first  night  I  slept  there  I  was  awakened  about  3 
o'clock  by  hearing  a  noise  in  the  room ;  supposing  burglars 
were  there  I  reached  over  to  where  Charlie  slept,  but  dis- 
covered that  he  was  gone;  I  then  jumped  out  of  bed  and 
ran  toward  a  person  that  I  saw  in  the  room;  he  ran 
towards  the  stairs  and  as  he  turned  to  go  down  I 
caught  up  to  him,  when  he  struck  me,  and  as  I  fell  I  saw 
it  was  Charlie.  That  night  was  spent  by  me  in  crying,  not 
on  account  of  my  injury,  but  at  the  blow  to  my  feelings.  I 
felt  very  bad.  Shortly  after  he  came  back,  begged  my 
pardon,  and  I  forgive  him.  Nothing  happened  for  some 
weeks  until  one  day  he  took  me  riding  to  South  Park, 
when  he  asked  me  for  money,  which  I  declined  to  give  him, 
when  he  struck  me.  "We  made  up  again  and  Charlie  had 
me  open  No.  10  South  Clark  street;  said  it  would  be  pat- 


STURLA.-STILES  TRAGEDY.  145 

ronized  by  Board  of  Trade  people,  members  of  the  Owl 
Club,  and  persons  with  whom  he  associated;  we  could  sell 
much  wine,  and  I  was  to  entertain  by  singing  and  music. 
He  introduced  me  to  James  Baxter,  of  the  Board  of  Trade, 
who  gave  me  diamonds  and  other  jewelry,  and  paid  great 
attention  to  me.  Charlie  got  jealous;  one  evening  he  came 
home  and  found  Baxter  there;  he  quarrelled  with  me  and 
struck  me.  Baxter  took  my  part,  when  Charlie  knocked 
us  both  down.  The  next  day  or  so  after  this  Baxter  gave 
me  a  revolver,  this  was  the  first  one  I  ever  owned,  to  pro- 
tect myself  with.  Often  I  would  point  it  at  him  when  he 
was  bad,  and  it  would  stop  him.  Nothing  unusual  hap- 
pened till  the  spring  of  1880,  when  Charlie  and  I  quar- 
relled and  separated,  when  Charlie  employed  Mr.  Pinker- 
ton  to  intimidate  me  into  giving  up  letters  and  mementoes, 
and  to  persuade  me  not  to  send  him  any  vegetable  bou- 
quets. I  had  sent  him  one  made  of  small  cabbages,  tur- 
nips and  beets.  Mr.  Pinkerton  claimed  that  this  made  him 
ridiculous  on  the  Board  and  annoyed  him.  I  explained  to 
him  the  circumstances  which  induced  me  to  send  them,  and 
that  I  had  things  of  his  and  did  not  want  him.  I  said  I 
would  be  glad  if  he  kept  away  forever.  Then  he  sent  me 
back  my  pictures  with  the  eyes  cut  out  and  all  scallopped. 
Two  or  three  days  after  that,  or  maybe  a  week,  I  don't  re- 
member how  long,  he  came  back  and  showed  the  letter 
Pinkerton  had  written  him.  I  asked  him  why  he  did  not 
do  as  Pinkerton  had  told  him  to  do,  and  k'eep  away  from 
me.  He  became  angry  and  said,  '  I'll  kill  you  yet,'  and 
knocked  me  down,  knocking  a  tooth  loose.  The  next  July, 
on  the  3rd,  1880,  he  said  he  wanted  to  take  me  to  Fox 
.River  and  show  me  the  insane  asylum  at  Elgin,  where  he 
had  his  brother.  We  went  to  one  or  two  places,  stopping 
at  hotels,  where  he  registered  himself  as  Charles  Stiles  and 
me  as  Mrs.  Hamilton.  We  took  a  drive  to  Aurora  and 
10 


1-46  STCBIA— STELES  TRAGEDY. 

stopped  at  the  Fitch  House,  where  he  registered  himself  as 
Charles  Stiles  and  me  as  Mrs.  Hamilton.  I  went  to  the 
hydrant  to  get  a  drink  of  water,  and  he  threw  some  in  my 
face.  We  had  our  tin-types  taken  at  a  photograph  gallery. 
When  we  were  between  Batavia  and  Aurora  he  said  he 
wanted  some  money  to  play  the  races  with.  I  told  him  I 
wouldn't  give  it  to  him,  and  he  said  he  needed  it  then.  I 
told  him  I  would  give  him  money  to  pay  the  hotel  bills  and 
he  threatened  to  put  me  out  He  did  put  me  oat,  and  then 
chased  me  with  the  horses.  On  one  side  there  was  a  field 
and  on  the  other  side  the  river.  He  afterward  took  me  in 
with  him,  but  we  hadn't  gone  far  when  he  put  me  out 
again.  He  threw  me  out,  giving  me  a  shove.  He  drove 
away  then,  and  I  went  back  toward  Aurora.  He  called  to 
me,  saying,  '  Come  back,  Effie.'  I  paid  no  attention  and 
walked  on.  I  had  some  money  and  was  going  to  Aurora. 
He  then  came  with  the  horses  and  chased  me  again.  I 
leaned  against  a  fence  and  drew  a  pistol;  I  did  it  to  fright- 
en him,  and  told  him  I  would  shoot  and  scare  the  horses; 
I  climbed  the  fence,  and  in  trying  to  get  over  my  dress  got 
caught  on  the  fence  and  I  fell,  my  head  downward;  there  I 
hung  till  he  picked  me  up  and  I  gave  him  the  money.  He 
was  very  kind  to  me  that  night — he  was  good  as  he  could 
be.  We  went  to  Elgin  and  stopped  at  the  Waverly  House 
as  Mrs.  Hamilton  and  Charles  Stiles;  then  he  brought  me 
home.  In  the  hall  I  told  him  good-bye,  and  said  I  did  not 
want  anything  more  to  do  with  him.  He  laughed  and 
went  away.  After  staying  away  a  week  he  wrote  me  a 
letter  telling  me  to  take  care  of  myself.  Then  he  returned 
and  treated  me  welL  Charlie  was  very  good  to  me  some- 
time. In  August  he  took  me  to  drive  out  to  Bowmansville. 
We  had  supper  for  three,  Charlie  and  I,  and  Blair  the  hack- 
driver;  he  asked  me  for  money,  and  I  asked  him  if  he 
didn't  have  some;  he  said  that  made  no  difference,  and  I 


8TURLA-  STILES   TRAGEDY.  147 

paid  for  the  supper.  I  told  him  he  shouldn't  have  said  any- 
thing before  the  driver,  and  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  show 
people  he  was  living  off  me.  We  got  into  the  carriage  and 
he  struck  me.  Charlie  tried  to  put  me  out,  and  the  driver 
interfered.  When  we  got  home  I  showed  the  driver  whf  re 
he  had  struck  me  and  my  bloody  handkerchief;  he  was 
good  as  he  could  be  after  that  until  October;  he  had  me 
get  rooms  over  Swanson's,  where  I  could  come  every  night, 
after  our  house  was  closed;  he  said  he  didn't  like  to  sleep 
at  No.  10  on  account  of  the  bell  ringing  on  the  bridge, 
which  made  him  nervous  and  kept  him  awake.  I  took  the 
rooms  and  I  had  a  boy  to  accompany  me  there  every  night. 
The  boy  was  Frank,  whom  I  took  from  the  street  and  after- 
ward sent  to  Mr.  Eckford's  farm  when  I  sold  out.  I  got 
some  furniture  and  a  piano  and  put  them  in  the  rooms,  and 
Charlie  was  good  then. 

"  One  night  at  half-past  8  o'clock  he  took  me  out  for  a 
drive.  In  the  meantime  I  had  not  been  giving  him  any 
money  to  amount  to  anything.  I  would  give  him  five  dol- 
lars or  ten  dollars,  or  sometimes  one  dollar,  to  pay  for 
breakfast  or  lunch,  when  he  didn't  have  any.  We  went 
out  to  drive  and  as  we  passed  the  park  he  said  the  place 
had  been  a  grave-yard,  and  asked  me  how  I  would  like  to 
see  a  skeleton  get  up  before  us.  I  asked  him  not  to  talk  so, 
and,  he  said,  '  By  the  way,  Effie,  our  house  is  doing  a  good 
business;  I  see  carriages  standing  in  front  of  the  door,  and 
you  must  have  a  good  deal  of  money;  how  much  have  you 
got  with  you?'  I  told  him  I  didn't  know.  He  asked  me 
again  to  tell  him  how  much  I  had,  and  then  said  ho  wanted 
the  money.  I  told  him  I  wouldn't  give  it  to  him,  and  he 
began  to  coax  and  persuade  me.  When  he  saw  I  would 
not  give  him  the  money,  he  put  me  out  and  began  chasing 
me  with  the  horses.  I  took  the  pistol  and  fifed  a  shot  in 
the  air.  The  horses  became  frightened  and  ran  away.  I 


148  STURL.'.    STILES  TRAGEDY. 

then  wandered  around  in  Lincoln  Park  and  became  fright- 
ened at  something;  I  hid  behind  a  vault  or  monument  of 
some  kind;  I  then  ran  away  and  fell  against  something;  I 
got  up  and  turned  cold  all  at  once,  and  my  brain  was  in  a 
whirl;  I  don't  remember  anything  about  it  except  that  I 
ran  sometimes  and  would  then  walk.  He  had  been  talking 
to  me  about  the  grave-yard  and  I  could  think  of  nothing 
but  ghosts;  I  thought  I  was  going  toward  the  city,  but 
found  myself  in  a  strange  place;  I  knocked  at  the  door  of 
a  cottage  and  told  the  lady  that  I  had  been  left  on  the  road. 
She  told  me  I  was  in  Lake  View,  and  sent  her  two  daughters 
with  me  to  the  cars.  When  I  got  home  my  clothes  were 
all  full  of  burs;  I  put  my  money  away  and  went  to 
Charlie's  room  to  get  some  papers  and  letters;  as  soon  as 
I  -got  in,  he  grabbed  me  and  searched  me.  He  had  been 
concealed  behind  something  when  I  entered  the  room,  and 
caught  me  suddenly;  he  couldn't  find  any  money,  but  he 
locked  the  door  and  made  me  stay  there  all  night.  After 
that  I  told  him  I  didn't  want  him  any  more  and  to  leave 
me. 

"He  staid  away  for  a  while  and  then  came  one  night 
with  a  crowd  of  his  friends  and  members  of  the  Owl  Club, 
and  kicked  at  the  door;  I  wouldn't  let  him  in,  and  he 
went  away,  his  fiiends  laughing  at  him.  He  came  back 
after  a  while  and  kicked  on  the  door  again.  I  told  him 
from  the  stairs  I  wouldn't  let  him  in,  and  I  afterward 
looked  out  of  a  window  and  ordered  him  away.  He  said 
he  would  shoot  me,  and  no  one  would  carefe  because  I  was 
a  fast  woman.  A  policeman  came  then  and  took  him  away. 
It  was  Officer  Demars.  He  came  another  night  and  threw 
stones  at  the  windows  and  broke  the  transom.  We  made 
up  after  that  and  he  promised  to  be  good.  On  this  occasion 
there  was  with  him  several  members  of  the  Owl  Club.  He 
often  got  money  from  me  to  spend  on  them.  Shortly  after 


8TURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  149 

this  I  read  in  the  papers  one  morning  about  a  destitute 
woman  on  the  West  side,  and  I  went  to  see  her.  She  had. 
two  little  children  and  was  sick  and  perfectly  destitute. 
I  came  back  and  bought  her  some  groceries  and  gave  her 
$10.  Charlie  took  me  to  the  theatre  that  night  as  he  used 
to  do  quite  often,  and  when  we  were  returning  home  I  told 
him  about  giving  the  woman  $10,  when  he  complained 
about  spending  money  in  that  way  when  he  needed  it  so 
much;  then  he  called  me  some  bad  name,  struck  me,  and 
knocked  me  down.  He  also  kicked  me  in  the  side  right 
where  he  had  kicked  me  before.  Officer  Demars  came  and 
interfered.  He  took  Charlie  away,  but  did  not  arrest  him. 
Dr.  Bates  then  came  and  treated  me.  I  suffered  a  great 
deal  and  had  pains  in  my  stomach  and  in  my  side." 

Mr.  Trude  then  identified  the  letters  and  showed  by 
witness  that  they  were  in  the  hand  writing  of  the  defen- 
dant, and  offered  them  in  evidence. 

By  Mr.  Mills:  I  object;  what  have  they  to  do  with  this 
case  ?  Have  they  any  connection  with  the  murder  com- 
mitted on  the  morning  of  July  10th,  1882  ?  Do  they  tend 
to  prove  her  insane  then  or  now  ? 

By  Mr.  Trude :  These  letters  must  be  viewed  and  con- 
sidered together,  and  when  so  viewed  and  considered  they 
will  corroborate  the  defendant  and  other  witnesses  of  the 
defense,  and  show  further  that  he  was  guilty  of  extreme 
brutality  upon  the  defendant.  This  is  one  predisposing 
cause  of  insanity.  Next  in  them  he  admits  that  he  sub- 
jected her  to  one  of  the  greatest  disappointments  that  a 
woman  can  endure.  This  is  the  second  predisposing  case 
of  insanity.  Further  in  them  it  will  appear  that  he  had  so 
represented  himself  to  her  that  she  believed  him  to  be  a 
humane,  devoted,  and  to  her  a  constant  man,  that  he  was 
influential  with  the  dramatic  and  musicial  press,  and  would 
gratify  the  controlling  wish  of  her  life  by  aiding  her  in 


150  STURLA-STILES  TKAGEDY. 

attaining  a  positim  before  the  musical  world.  In  vivid 
.contrast  with  that  just  stated  it  will  appear  from  two  of 
the  letters  of  a  later  date,  that  he  was  the  very  opposite  of 
what  she  was  led  to  believe,  for  he  confesses  himself  brutal, 
devoted  only  to  the  obtaiuing  of  her  money,  and  so  incon- 
stant that  he  almost  stood  in  full  view  of  a  new  made 
grave  on  account  of  the  terrible  disease  that  his  licentious- 
ness brought  upon  him,  these  are  all  agencies  that  are 
calculated  to  disturb  the  mind.  All  things  that  are  done 
and  said  to  the  prisoner  that  would  have  a  tendency  to 
unseat  her  reason  are  competent  for  the  jury  to  consider, 
and  all  the  medical  gentlemen  agree  that  these  matters  are 
all  predisposing  causes  of  insanity.  The  letter  wherein  he 
says,  in  effect,  that  he  has  drank  deeply  from  every  cup  of 
vice,  is  virtually  by  his  own  confession  a  gambler,  drunkard, 
libertine  and  pimp,  and  worse  than  all  has  declared  that 
as  he  has  robbed  her,  he  proposes  to  make  her  a  slave  to 
his  will.  The  idol  that  his  tongue  described  and  her  fancy 
painted,  was  shattered  by  the  contents  of  these  letters. 
These  combined  agencies  are  more  potent  in  effecting  the 
overthrow  of  reason,  than  physical  brutalities;  most 
wounds  made  upon  the  body  soon  heal,  but  wrongs  like 
those  shown  in  these  letters  endure  while  reason  lasts. 
Counsel  cited  in  support  of  his  position  on  this  branch  of 
the  case  several  authorities. 

Will  not  these  letters  associated  with  all  the  evidence  in 
the  case  aid  the  jury  in  arriving  at  a  just  conclusion. 
Letters  of  a  like  nature  were  admitted  in  the  case  of 
People  vs.  McFarline,  People  vs.  Cole,  and  Sickles  charged 
with  the  murder  of  Phillip  Bertou  Key., 
case  charged  with  the  murder  of  Phillip  Bertonkey. 

In  all  cases  where  insanity  is  relied  upon  as  a  defense 
they  are  admitted.  In  Stevens  ads.  People,  tried  in  this 
court  before  Judge  Kogers  four  years  ago,  when  the  same 
attorneys  who  now  represent  respectively  the  People,  and 


8TURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY  151 

the  prisoner  in  this  case,  occupied  the  same  position  in 
that  case.  All  the  letters  were  admitted  as  well  as  photo- 
graphs, and  any  thing  that  might  affect  the  mind  of  the 
prisoner  was  ruled  as  competent  evidence. 

The  Court  ruled  that  the  letters  were  competent.  They 
are  as  follows: 

CHICAGO,  Jan.  19th,  1880. 

MY  DEAR  EFFIE: — My  heart  is  breaking.  Won't  you 
please  erase  my  name  from  your  memory,  and  pardon  me 
if  you  can  for  the  many  unkind  and  unmanly  words  I 
have  allowed  myself  to  say.  I  will  return  your  presents 
by  a  messenger.  I  will  never  speak  to  another  woman  as 
long  as  I  live. 

Your  heart  broken  lover,  CHARLIE. 

MY  DEAR  EP.  : — The  same  old  story.  I  got  $900  this 
morning,  played  it  in  against  faro  bank;  this  demoralized 
me  so  completely;  then  I  went,  got  some  fresh  air;  think 
now  that  I  shall  go  out  home  at  4  P.  M.  You  have  been 
very,  very  kind  to  me  and  I  love  yon,  but  I  am  resolved 
from  to  day  to  do  differently,  and  if  I  cannot  conquer  my 
passion  for  gaming  I  shall  jump  in  the  lake.  Having  lost 
my  sleep  I  feel  unable  to  attend  to  any  business,  and  shall 
not,  if  I  go  home,  be  able  to  keep  my  appointment  for  to 
night.  You  may  rely  upon  it  that  I  will  be  faithful  to  so 
good  a  girl  as  you  have  been  to  me. 

With  all  my  love,  CHARLIE. 

DIXON,  Friday,  1880. 

MY  DEAR  EFF.  : — I  have  just  telegraphed  you,  care  of 
Mrs.  Parker,  to  see  the  big,  fat  door-keeper  of  the  call 
board,  who  wrote  the  enclosed  letter,  and  have  him,  if  pos- 
sible, find  out  in  a  quiet  sort  of  a  way  from  Mr.  Henneberry, 
the  secretary  of  the  call  board,  if  he  thinks  I  can  again  gf  t 
my  position.  Now  if  you  do  this  I  want  it  done  in  such  a 
way  that  you  will  not  be  known  in  it.  I  think  you  had 
better  send  a  note  to  Richard  and  have  him  meet  you,  say 
at  Race  Bros,  or  some  other  convenient  place,  and  you  can 
then  talk  it  over  together;  if  this  can  be  arranged  you  look 
out  for  a  place  to  live  at  once,  and  if  when  I  get  to  Chicago 
I  hear  that  you  have  been  bad  or  dissipated  in  any  way 


152  STURLA-STILES    TRAGEDY. 

I'll  pound  you  black  and  blue.  Now  please,  honey,  be  a  good 
girl  and  I  will  stick  to  you  for  life.  My  God !  I  never 
knew  how  much  I  could  love  you;  please  return  the  en- 
closed letter  to  me;  don't  take  a  drop  of  champagne  no 
more  than  you  would  so  much  poison,  and  your  lot  shall 
be  a  happy  one. 

Ever  your,  CHARLIE. 

P  can  hardly  express  to  you  in  words  my  gratitude  for 
your  kind  attentions;  only  if  you  will  pardon  my  past 
transgressions,  I  will  by  my  good  conduct  more  than  atone 
for  them  in  the  future.  Gold  must  be  tried  by  fire,  and 
we  only  discover  the  finer  traits  of  character  in  those  we 
hold  dearest  by  the  severest  tests  of  the  human  furnaces; 
vice,  drink,  temptations  of  wine,  women  and  hacks  are 
some  of  tLe  last  mentioned  kinds  of  fire;  I  shall  try  to  avoid 
them  all  hereafter,  and  not  place  myself  in  any  position 
that  you  may  reproachfully  say  to  me:  "A  burnt  child 
dreads  the  fire." 

Yours  contritely,  C. 

MY  DEAR  EF.  : — I  went  to  see  your  friend  Emerson  last 
eve.  He  is  a  very  attractive  and  seductive  person,  and  I 
am  sure  you  will  avoid  him. 

With  all  my  love,  CHARLIE. 

"  Shortly  after  this  I  met  him  in  a  restaurant  called  the 
'  Fashion,'  and  he  told  me  he  had  used  some  money  belong- 
ing to  one  of  his  friends.  He  used  to  talk  to  me  in  Italian. 
Charlie  could  speak  Italian  very  well,  but  sometimes  he 
would  want  for  a  word.  When  we  first  met  I  spoke  very 
broken  English,  and  he  taught  me  English  and  I  taught 
him  Italian. 

"  When  Mr.  Pinkerton  came  to  the  house  the  second  time, 
looking  for  some  girl  who  had  run  away  from  home,  I 
showed  him  that  Charlie  had  come  back.  Charlie  was  in 
the  front  room  reading.  He  swore  at  me  and  threatened 
to  hit  me  with  a  champagne  bottle,  but  was  restrained  by 
Mr.  Pinkerton.  Pinkerton  took  him  out,  and  he  swore  at 
me,  saying  he  would  kill  me  yet, 


^STUBLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  153 

"  One  time  he  was  in  bed  feeling  sick,  and  said  he  wanted 
something  warm  to  drink.  I  went  out  to  get  it  for  him, 
leaving  my  pocket-book  on  the  table.  When  I  came  back 
tbe  pocket-book  was  under  the  pillow  and  the  money  was 
gone.  I  went  home  and  told  Rosie  I  was  going  to  see 
Charlie  and  get  my  money  back;  I  got  a  carriage  and  went 
to  the  rooms  over  Swanson's;  Charlie  had  taken  his  trunk 
and  left.  I  went  down  to  the  Owl  Club  and  asked  for 
Charlie.  The  boy  said  he  had  been  there,  but  had  left. 
He  went  to  the  Grand  Pacific  then,  and  I  wrote  to  him  to 
stay  away.  I  then  sent  back  the  piano  and  furniture  I  had 
in  the  rooms,  and  for  the  time  abandoned  all  hope  of  im- 
proving my  musical  education.  He  stayed  away  for  but  a 
short  time,  when  he  often  frequented  the  house  in  a  drunken 
condition.  This  condition  of  affairs  continued  with  little 
variation  until  two  years  ago  last  Thanksgiving  he  wanted 
to  go  to  Dixon  to  see  his  people,  and  got  me  to  go  with 
him.  He  said  we  would  take  the  names  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Charles  Stiles.  We  went  to  Sterling,  where  Charlie  left 
me  to  go  and  see  his  people  at  Dixon.  Toward  night  he 
came  in.  I  met  a  clerk  there  I  had  known  in  Chicago,  and 
when  Charlie  came  I  was  playing  and  singing.  He  became 
very  angry,  and  when  we  went  to  the  room  he  asked  me 
what  I  had  been  doing  with  that  man ;  I  told  him  I  knew 
him  in  Chicago.  When  we  were  in  the  room  he  drew  out 
a  small  flask  of  brandy.  It  was  marked  'best  brandy,' 
and  ho  took  a  drink.  He  asked  me  to  have  some,  but  I 
refused.  This  was  at  the  Gait  house,  and  he  took  me  to 
the  Fair  with  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel  and  the  clerk.  He 
introduced  me  to  several  people.  'On  retiring  this  night 
after  some  casual  conversation  I  fell  asleep,  and  was  awak^ 
ened  by  feeling  him  nudging  me  with  the  barrel  of  a  pis  tol. 
I  woke  up,  he  caught  me  by  the  hair,  put  his  pistol  to  my 
face  and  asked  me  if  I  loved  him.  I  became  very  fright-^ 


154  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

ened,  and  after  I  had  told  him  that  I  did  and  that  I  had 
always  loved  him,  he  laid  down  again  without  saying  an- 
other word.  He  acted  so  strange  I  was  afraid  to  stay  in 
bed  with  him,  so  I  got  up.  Just  as  I  was  putting  on  my 
stockings,  he  pulled  his  revolver  and  pointed  at  me,  telling 
me  he  would  shoot  me;  I  took  my  pistol  from  my  seal  skin 
sacqae,  and  I  said:  'You  shoot  and  I'll  shoot.'  He  went 
to  sleep  then  and  I  took  a  pillow  and  laid  down  in  front  of 
the  grate.  I  wanted  to  get  away  from  him,  but  could  not 
as  he  had  locked  the  door  and  concealed  the  key.  During 
the  night  he  slept  off  the  effects  of  the  brandy  and  was 
apparently  all  right,  and  we  then  came  home. 

"  On  Christmas  day,  1880,  he  wrote  me  the  letter  to  meet 
him  at  the  Owl  Club  at  11  o'clock  that  night;  I  went  there 
and  he  took  me  to  his  room  at  the  Palmer  house  with  him. 
There  was  a  large  clock  on  the  mantel,  and  just  as  the 
clock  was  striking  12  he  made  me  kneel  down  and  take  all 
manner  of  oaths  that  I  would  always  love  him.  I  frequently 
went  to  the  Palmer  house  with  him,  and  if  the  elevator  was 
stopped  we  took  the  freight  elevator  and  went  to  his  rooms 
660  and  661.  Charlie  remained  away  for  some  time.  When 
he  came  to  the  house  it  was  in  the  latter  part  of  February, 
1881,  his  face  bore  the  marks  of  dissipation  and  his  eyes 
had  an  expression  peculiar  to  drunken  men.  I  told  him 
that  I  wanted  him  to  go  away  from  the  house  and  visit  the 
"VVashingtonian  home  for  a  while.  He  pleaded  with  me  for 
a  while  when  I  consented  to  ride  with  him  to  Sunnyside; 
while  there  he  saw  a  woman  accompanied  by  a  man ;  it 
appeared  that  he  knew  ker  and  was  angry  because  she  was 
with  the  man,  and  asked  me  to  engage  in  a  fight  with  her, 
and,  on  my  declining,  he  struck  me  in  the  face;  when, 
being  disfigured,  I  came  home.  That  night  he  ot  into 
the  house;  I  ordered  him  out  of  the  house;  he  was  then 
drunk  and  diseased,  he  declined  to  go,  but  assaulted  me. 


BTUHIA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  155 

I  told  him  I  would  kill  him  if  he  kicked  me  again.  Sent 
little  Frankie,  the  boot-black  that  lived  with  me  and  who 
went  to. school  from  my  home,  after  a  policeman,  who,  on 
his  arrival,  was  informed  by  Charlie  that  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Trade  and  caller  of  the  board,  and  ended 
by  demanding  the  arrest  of  all  in  the  house;  this  the  officer 
did.  I  was  liberated  by  the  aid  of  the  hackman  and  on  my 
way  out  of  the  prison  saw  Charlie  in  a  cell  between  a  white 
thief  and  a  negro  prostitute,  both  drunk;  Charlie  was  sing- 
ing '  I  want  to  be  an  angel,'  and  '  Shamus  O'Brien.'  I 
went  out,  raised  $50  and  bailed  him  out.  He  gave  the 
name  of  Ben  Shaw,  a  journalist  of  Dixon.  The  next  day 
I  appeared  for  him  and  paid  his  fine.  About  a  week  after 
this  he  called  to  obtain  money  to  give  Salvini,  the  tragedian, 
a  star  supper.  It  was  to  be  given  by  the  Owl  Club  and  he 
was  selected  by  the  Club  as  the  leading  spirit.  He  said  he 
needed  money  to  pay  for  table  fixings,  wine,  etc.,  and  money 
to  buy  a  white  vest  and  swallow-tail  coat.  He  showed  me 
a  plan  of  the  table  and  where  the  notable  persons  were  to 
sit.  I  gave  him  the  money  he  requested. 

"  Some  time  in  the  year ,  1881, 1  cannot  now  remember 
just  the  time,  Charlie  came  to  the  house  with  some  friends 
and  asked  me  to  play  on  the  piano,  which  I  did,  and  was 
singing  some  Italian  opera  when  he  came  up  behind  me 
and  poured  some  wine  down  my  back.  I  had  on  a  low- 
neck  dress;  I  turned  to  wards  him  suddenly,  when  he  struck 
me.  Shortly  after  this  I  determined  to  sell  out,  and  did  so 
at  a  sacrifice  of  $1,500.  I  intended  to  take  rooms,  but  Char- 
lie appealed  and  persuaded  me  to  go  to  Watson's,  where  I 
went.  After  I  had  been  there  a  while  Charlie  came  after 
money,  and  used  to  wait  in  a  closet  for  it  until  I  could  get 
away  from  the  parlor  and  the  wine  parties  that  I  used  to 
sing  and  play  for.  We  again  quarreled,  and  one  day  I  went 
to  a  Salvini  matinee,  and  fearing  that  some  of  Charlie's 


156  STUKLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

friends  might  be  in  the  audience,  I  went  into  a  box.  Short- 
after  I  entered  it  some  one  struck  me  from  behind,  and  on 
looking  around  I  saw  Charlie.  That  night  he  took  me  to 
the  Tremont  House  and  asked  me  for  $100,  which  I  gave 
him.  He  then  talked  so  good  to  me,  said  he  was  going  to 
do  the  right  thing,  and  that  we  would  get  married  and  keep 
furnished  rooms.  He  showed  me  an  advertisement  of  a 
house  for  sale  on  West  Randolph  street,  and  Rosa  and  I 
went  there  to  look  at  the  house.  I  thought  of  buying  the 
house,  but  Charlie  changed  his  mind. 

"  The  next  thing  that  occurred  that  I  can  now  remember 
was  that  one  day  I  went  to  the  Palmer  House  to  see  Mrs. 
Busteed,  a  lady  that  I  knew  in  Baltimore,  who  was  sick. 
Charlie  came  in  the  room  and  quarreled  with  me.  He  after- 
ward struck  me  and  took  $GOO  away  from  me.  I  asked  him 
for  it.  and  he  told  me  to  be  quiet  and  remain  at  the  hotel 
until  the  next  day.  He  had  a  friend  he  called  Judge,  and 
when  we  were  in  the  room  some  one  came  into  the  hall  and 
Charlie  told  me  to  go  into  No.  661  for  a  moment.  I  left  my 
pocket-book  on  the  center-table,  and  when  I  came  back  it 
was  gone.  He  kept  me  there,  and  said  he  had  put  the 
money  in  wheat  and  would  give  it  back  to  me.  The  porter 
at  the  Palmer  informed  about  my  being  there,  and  he  was 
ordered  to  send  me  away.  He  told  me  to  go  to  the  JEtna 
House,  and  I  did.  He  would  come  to  me,  and  soon  he  got 
all  my  money.  I  gave  him  about  this  time  $200  to  pay 
Kreigh  &  Davis  for  him." 

The  following  letters  read  and  introduced  as  evidence. 
The  first  from  the  defendant: 

CHARLES  STILES, — Dear  Sir:  Please  be  so  kind  as  to  send 
me  my  picture,  and  also  my  one  little  gray  hair.  If  you  do, 
I  will  send  you  all  your  letters,  pictures,  and  even  to 
the  lock  of  your  hair  I  severed  in  sport,  and  then  thought  I 
Joved  you  so  dear.  I  want  nothing  belonging  to  you,  so 


STURLA-STILES   TUAGEDY.  157 

please  do  as  I  ask  you  to;  it  will  be  the  best  for  you  and 
the  best  for  me. 

The  answer  to  this  was  as  follows: 

Nov.  15,  1881. 
Miss  STURLA  :    Inclosed  please  find  your  picture. 

Respectfully,  CHARLES  STILES. 

CHICAGO  MINING  BOARD,  CHICAGO,  JULY  14,  1880. 
MY  DEAR  EF.  :  Again  you  have  cut  another  notch  in  the 
stick  of  obligations  I  am  under  to  you,  and  this  morning  I 
am  as  happy  as  a  man  can  be.  It  seems  so  easy  for  you  to 
be  loving  aud  kind  that  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  you  any- 
thing else.  I  would  not  care  to  live  if  I  thought  I  should 
ever  cause  you  a  moment  of  sadness  or  regret.  I  pledge 
you  the  devotion  of  a  lifetime. 

Your  lover,  CHARLIE. 

This  in  pencil: 

I  am  still  very  sick  in  bed.  Come  over  to  660  at  11 
o'clock  this  morning,  if  you  can.  CHARLIE. 

MY  DEAR  EF.  :  "Won't  you  please  make  up  with  me  ?  I 
can't  stand  it  any  longer.  Yours,  CHARLIE. 

This  was  also  in  pencil: 

I  loved  you  once ;  I  hate  you  now.  No,  I  loved  you  once 
and  I  love  you  now,  so  don't  get  sick.  Good-bye.  Good- 
bye. EFFIE. 

I've  had  and  am  still  having  a  hell  of  a  lot  of  trouble.  I 
rely  in  you  to  help  me  out.  Will  try  and  see  you  at  9  P. 
M.  Brother  was  at  the  show  last  night  and  I  could  not 
come.  CHARLIE. 

SATURDAY,  12:30  P.  M. 

MY  DEAR  EF.  :  I  am  absolutely  without  money.  My 
brother  has  the  scarlet  fever.  Mrs.  Nevis  says  this  morn- 
ing she  must  have  her  money — about  $40.  I  have  no  re- 
sources whatever,  and  unless  you  will  be  good  enough  to 
send  me  about  $50  by  this  boy  I  shall  be  obliged  to  pawn 
my  watch,  a  thing  which  I  know  you  do  not  wish  me  to  do. 

With  all  my  love,  CHARLIE. 


158  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

"On  various  occasions  he  appeared  at  Miss  Watson's;  his 
brother  Eugene,  his  father  and  uncle  Chinney  and  a  niece 
were  in  the  house.  I  used  to  give  money  to  them  all.  On 
account  of  my  relations  with  Charlie  the  members  of  the 
Owl  Club  used  to  visit  the  house.  Some  of  them  came  with 
him,  often.  Charlie's  desire  to  drink  seemed  to  grow  upon 
him,  and  on  one  occasion  he  came  to  the  house  so  drunk 
that  when  he  attempted  to  reach  my  room  near  the  head  of 
the  stairs  I  pushed  him  and  he  fell  down  stairs,  and  it  took 
two  girls  to  carry  him  up  again.  After  this  I  had  made  a 
green  velvet  dress,  and  got  a  man  who  used  to  run  errands 
for  Charlie,  a  convict  by  the  name  of  House  or  Mailhouse, 
to  paint  snakes,  lizards,  frogs,  etc.,  with  diamond  eyes.  I 
thought  that  by  wearing  this  when  Charlie  was  around  it 
might  remind  him  of  what  he  saw  when  drunk  and  make 
him  stop,  but  it  didn't." 

Tell  the  jury  all  the  money,  goods,  chattels,  or  other  prop- 
erty Charles  Stiles  ever  gave  you. 

"  He  gave  me  this,  and  this,"  (pointing  to  the  clasps  of 
gold  around  her  wrists,)  and  once  at  the  Tremont  House  he 
gave  me  $20  in  gold." 

"  He  got  me  to  leave  Watson's  and  gave  me  a  little  dia- 
mond ring,  which  he  afterward  took  away  from  me."  (Here 
she  burst  into  sobs  and  had  to  control  herself  before  she  re- 
sumed.) 

"  He  also  gave  me  another  pair  of  bracelets,  which  I  had 
to  pawn  for  him,  and  I  lost  them.  He  gave  me  $2,500  in 
certificates.  They  were  green,  and  he  said  they  were  the 
same  as  money.  I  asked  several  people  about  them  and 
took  them  to  some  brokers,  who  told  me  they  were  worth- 
less. We  were  living  at  371  Wabash  avenue  then.  That 
night  I  told  Charlie  the  certificates  were  not  good,  and  ho 
laughed,  saying,  '  I'll  show  you  to-morrow  that  they  are 
good.'  He  asked  me  out  to  walk,  and  we  walked  on  Wa- 


8TURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

bash  avenue  to  Twenty-second  street,  and  then  came  back 
on  Michigan  avenue.  He  asked  me  to  sit  in  the  park  on 
the  lake  front  with  him,  and  we  went.  I  asked  him  to  tell 
me  the  truth  about  the  certificates,  and  then  he  told  me 
they  were  no  good.  He  wanted  some  money,  and  I  told 
him  it  was  all  gone.  He  struck  me  and  I  screamed.  Some 
boatmen  heard  my  screams  and  took  my  part.  I  ran  away 
and  went  home.  I  found  him  there,  although  I  had  run 
nearly  all  the  way.  He  knocked  me  down  at  the  bouse, 
striking  me  on  the  back  of  the  head  with  a  revolver.  He 
gave  the  revolver  to  the  landlady  and  told  her  that  I  was 
not  his  wife,  and  that  he  had  left  me.  The  next  morning 
the  landlady  told  his  brother  Gene,  who  was  living  with  us, 
that  Mr.  Stiles  had  left  and  that  he  would  have  to  get  an- 
other place.  I  went  back  to  Watson's  on  July  4 — this  was 
in  1881.  He  came  there  with  some  friends  and  went  down 
in  the  pool-room.  He  sent  one  of  the  girls  to  ask  me  to 
come  down  in  the  pool-room,  but  I  went  into  a  room  and 
refused  because  I  was  afraid  of  him.  I  heard  Watson  tell 
him  he  must  not  come  to  the  house.  He  laughed  and  went 
away.  On  the  morning  of  July  9th  I  heard  some  one  kick- 
ing at  my  door,  and  opened  it,  and  giving  me  a  shove  he 
drew  a  revolver  and  put  it  to  my  head,  He  ordered  me  to 
get  up  and  put  on  my  clothes  or  he  would  shoot  me.  We 
went  to  the  Palmer  House,  where  I  packed  up  some  shirts 
and  other  clothes  for  him.  He  said  he  was  going  to  Sara- 
toga, and  wanted  me  to  go  to  the  train  with  him.  I  was 
sitting  by  him  on  the  seat,  and  went  to  kiss  him  good-bye. 
I  told  him  to  be  a  better  man,  and  he  pointed  the  pistol  at 
me  and  made  me  stay  on  the  train.  He  took  me  to  Men- 
dota,  and,  then  we  went  to  Galesburg.  There  he  made  all 
sorts  of  promises.  He  said  he  had  loaned  the  landlady 
some  money  on  her  furniture,  and  he  would  buy  it.  He 
told  me  that  I  must  be  good,  and  when  I  had  been  good 


160  8TURLA-ST1LES  TRAGEDY. 

three  months  he  would  marry  me.  We  came  back  and 
stopped  at  the  Tremont  House  three  days.  Our  rooms 
were  at  No.  371  W abash  avenue,  by  some  Board  of  Trade 
men,  and  we  had  to  wait  till  we  could  get  fixed  up.  He 
asked  me  for  some  money,  saying  he  did  not  have  enough 
to  pay  for  the  furniture.  I  gave  him  $200,  and  he  bought 
the  furniture." 

"We  had  ten  rooms  and  I  boarded  some  members  of  the 
Board  of  Trade,  who  had  rooms  with  us.  I  worked  in  the 
kitchen  and  washed  and  ironed  Charlie's  shirts.  I  was 
glad  to  do  it,  because  I  thought  I  was  living  right." 

(The  witness  sobbed  violently,  covering  her  face  with  her 
handkerchief,  and  broke  down  completely.  The  majority 
of  the  audience  were  visibly  affected,  and  some  in  tears. 
Recovering  herself  she  continued :) 

"A  man  named  Robinson  was  stopping  at  the  house  and 
Charlie  said  we  must  get  him  to  leave;  Charlie  did  not 
like  him.  Chinney  Stiles,  Charlie's  uncle,  was  also  stay- 
ing there.  Charlie's  father  then  came  to  live  with  us.  One 
time  Chinney  got  in  the  Bridewell  and  Charlie  came  to  me 
to  get  money  to  get  him  out.  I  gave  him  the  money,  but 
he  didn't  do  it.  I  asked  him  why  he  didn't  do  it,  and  he 
answered,  'Let  Chinney  stay  there;  it  will  do  him  good.' 
I  remonstrated  with  him,  because  I  liked  Chinney.  He 
was  a  harmless  man.  Charlie  said  he  was  worthless  and 
might  stay  in  jail;  that  he  was  only  good  to  do  something 
arourd  a  faro  bank.  Gene  and  Al.,  Charlie's  brothers, 
were  also  there.  I  don't  remember  when  the  old  gentle- 
man, Charlie's  father,  came.  He  was  very  sick  on  the 
18th,  and  I  nursed  him.  I  took  care  of  him  until  the  20th, 
except  one  night,  when  Mr.  Richard  Stiles,  that  gentleman 
over  there  (pointing  to  Mr.  R.  Stiles,  who  sat  next  to  Mrs. 
S.,)  came  and  sat  up  with  him.  Mrs.  Stiles  then  came,  and 
that  night  she  took  me  into  a  room  and  talked  to  me.  She 


S1URLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  161 

spoke  to  me  kiudly  and  said  I  was  doing  wrong  to  live 
with  her  son.  At  five  minutes  past  two  that  morning  he 
died.  He  died  on  a  chair,  and  I  helped  Charlie  put  him  in 
the  bed." 

"  How  did  you  live  with  him  then  ?  "  interjected  Mr. 
Trude. 

"Oh,  he  was  awful  good — as  kind  as  a  man  could  be. 
The  old  gentleman  said  once,  in  the  presence  of  Charlie, 
that  he  was  glad  to  soe  us  together. 

"  After  they  took  Mr.  Stiles'  body  to  the  morgue,  Charlie 
said  he  had  no  money,  and  he  did  not  know  how  much  his 
mother  had.  I  had  $255  I  had  saved  from  what  I  made 
at  Miss  Carrie's,  and  gave  him  $200  to  pay  for  his  father's 
funeral.  I  afterward  heard  he  had  not  done  it.  [This  was 
ruled  out.]  When  Mr.  Elton,  the  undertaker,  came  I  tore 
up  a  white  shirt  of  Charlie's,  which  was  too  small  for  him, 
and  which  I  had  been  wearing,  and  gave  it  to  Mr.  Elton  to 
tie  up  the  old  gentleman's  limbs.  On  the  following  Mon- 
day, Mr.  Richard  Stiles  came  and  gave  me  Charlie's  father's 
picture.  On  Thursday,  Charlie's  aunt  came  and  said  I 
would  have  to  give  up  the  flat.  I  saw  it  was  no  use  to  live 
right.  (Here  she  broke  down  and  sobbed  hysterically. 
Between  her  sobs  she  continued:)  The  night  Charlie's 
father  died  I  said  I  would  be  a  good  woman,  but  he  sent 
his  folks  to  take  my  furniture  and  send  me  back  to  the  life 
I  led  before." 

(The  scene  in  the  court  room  at  this  time  was  a  sad  one. 
The  witness'  breast  was  heaving  and  she  almost  howled 
with  anguish,  while  scarcely  a  dry  eye  remained  among  the 
spectators.) 

"  When  I  told  them  I  would  not  give  it  up  they  said 

they  would  go  to  the  landlord  and  tell  him  that  I  was  not 

Charlie's  wife,  and  he  would  take  the  lease  from  me.     I  was 

advised  not  to  give  up  the  furniture,  and  I  didn't.     I  stored 

11 


162  BTtmLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

it  on  West  Monroe  street  on  Friday.  A  week  after  that 
Charlie  came  back  from  Dixon. 

After  his  father's  funeral  he  came  with  Gene  to  Watson's 
and  told  me  to  hold  on  to  the  furniture.  I  was  afraid  of  him 
and  showed  him  my  revolver.  He  said  he  was  sorry  for 
his  treatment  of  me,  and  asked  me  to  go  to  Downing's  with 
him. 

Then  we  went  to  Rochelle;  on  the  way  he  explained  that 
he  had  lost  his  situation  on  the  Board  of  Trade  and  wanted 
me  to  use  my  influence  with  Dick,  the  door-keeper,  to  get 
him  back;  this  I  subsequently  did,  and  he  got  back.  He 
asked  me  afterwards  to  help  him  in  the  letter  read  a  little 
while  ago,  (the  letter  referring  to  Dick,  the  door-keeper.) 
After  this  I  sold  the  furniture  taken  from  house  371  Wabash 
for  $350. 

"  The  next  thing  unusual  that  happened  was  when  we  took 
another  trip,  this  time  in  Iowa,  and,  as  we  were  crossing 
the  Mississippi  river,  he  asked  me  for  some  of  the  money  I 
got  from  the  sale  of  the  furniture.  I  told  him  I  would  not 
give  it  to  him.  It  was  night  time  and  we  stood  on  the  rail- 
ing of  the  boat,  and  he  said  that  he  had  a  good  notion  to 
throw  me  into  the  river.  I  said  that  would  be  murder  and 
he  would  be  hung.  He  said  it  was  not  murder  to  kill  a 
prostitute;  that  there  was  no  law  for  them,  and  that  it  was 
no  crime  to  kill  one.  I  took  out  my  pistol  and  told  him  to 
keep  away,  which  he  did.  On  our  way  home  we  made  up 
and  I  went  back  to  Watson's.  He  began  coming  to  the 
house  drunk. 

"  Next  March,  in  1882,  he  took  sick  and  asked  me  to  come 
to  see  him.  I  took  fifty  dollars  with  me  to  buy  a  cloak, 
and  went  to  his  room.  The  doctor  came  in,  and  I  went 
out.  I  went  in  again  and  found  him  dressing.  I  asked 
him  if  he  wasn't  sick;  he  laughed  and  said  he  was,  but  he 
was  going  out.  The  pocket-book  was  open  and  the  money 


STtJKLA-STlLES  TRAGEDY.  163 

gone.  I  told  him  I  wanted ,  it  to  buy  a  cloak,  and  lie 
laughed,  saying,  I  was  in  a  place  where  I  could  make  plenty 
of  money.  I  told  him  I  would  send  him  some  money,  when 
he  answered  that  he  needed  it,  and  knocked  me  down.  I 
fell  in  a  closet  and  he  told  me  to  lie  there.  I  told  him  I 
wouldn't  leave  the  room  until  he  gave  me  the  money.  He 
went  away  and  the  chambermaids  came  in  to  arrange  the 
room.  I  hid  in  the  closet.  He  came  back  after  a  while 
and  said,  '  You  are  there  yet  are  you  ? '  and  went  out.  I 
didn't  know  how  to  get  even,  so  I  took  the  sawdust  out  of 
a  pin-cushion  there  was  in  the  room  and  placed  it  between 
the  sheets.  I  also  sprinkled  ink  over  his  clothes.  Charlie 
next  came  in  about  two  weeks  after  that  with  a  friend.  He 
was  in  a  dress  suit.  Miss  Carrie  ordered  him  out,  but  he 
came  up  stairs  with  one  of  the  ladies  and  told  me  to  give 
her  some  money  to  go  out  with  his  friend.  I  gave  her 
fifteen  dollars,  and  we  went  to  Madame  Gee's.  Next 
morning  Charlie's  friend  left  early  and  we  went  to  Bach- 
elder's  for  breakfast.  I  had  to  pay  for  the  breakfast,  and 
he  told  me  he  wanted  money  to  get  his  watch  out  of  pawn. 
I  declined,  and  then  he  struck  me.  When  Charlie  let 
drinking  and  gambling  alone  he  was  very  good — when  he 
had  no  one  to  tempt  him.  After  that  we  went  out  for  a 
drive,  and  he  made  me  take  an  oath  to  go  back  with  him. 
He  wanted  me  to  go  to  the  Palmer  to  see  a  young  man. 
Cyrus  Harrington,  who  was  sick.  I  did  go,  and  then  he 
made  me  promise  to  live  with  him  again." 

(The  witness  in  answer  to  questions  described  the  swell- 
ing of  her  side  during  her  periodical  illness,  and  spoke  cf 
her  fauting  spells.  Her  troubles  were  very  much  increased 
after  receiving  the  first  kick  he  gave  her.  She  related  how 
they  went  to  Valparaiso  and  to  St.  Louis,  where  they  stop- 
ped at  the  Southern  Hotel,  and  told  of  her  musical  per- 
formances in  Watson's  house  for  the  entertainment  of  wine 


1C4  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

parties,  where  she  had  lived.  She  lived  there  from  Sep- 
tember, 1881,  to  April,  1882.) 

"He  frequently  invited  his  male  friends  to  supper  at 
Kingsley's,  and  I  would  have  it  to  pay  for.  In  the  latter 
part  of  April,  we  went  to  live  at  Mrs.  Harvey's  as  husband 
and  wife.  We  often  went  to  Kingsley's  and  had  dinner  or 
supper  with  some  of  Charlie's  friends  at  my  expense. 
When  I  left  Watson's  I  had  $2.700.  He  got  it  all  but  $50, 
or  $60.  All  I  ever  got  myself  while  living  with  Charlie  the 
last  time,  was  a  little  blue  dress  and  a  little  bonnet.  The 
whole  thing  did  not  cost  over  $35.  On  Friday  Charlie 
wrote  me  a  letter,  saying  he  was  going  on  a  little  trip.  He 
did  not  come  home  and  I  told  Mrs.  Harvey  I  did  not  think 
my  husband  would  come  back,  and  that  I  would  leave.  I 
left  then  and  went  to  Miss  Carrie's.  I  still  had  $700. 
Charlie  returned  next  da^  and  came  to  Miss  Carrie's  with 
another  woman.  They  had  both  been  drinking.  The 
woman  came  out  and  told  me,  Mr.  Stiles  wanted  to  see  me, 
and  I  had  better  go  to  him.  I  went  out  and  Charlie  struck 
me  and  pushed  me  into  the  carriage.  We  drove  to 
Harvey's,  the  woman  leaving  us  before  we  got  there.  We 
went  in  and  he  began  to  abuse  me.  I  begged  him  to  let 
me  alone,  and  told  him  I  would  go  away;  that  I  would  go 
home,  back  to  Baltimore,  that  he  only  wanted  to  abuse  me 
and  then  write  me  letters.  Next  day,  the  6th  of  July,  I 
went  to  Miss  Carrie's  to  get  my  clothes.  She  advised  me 
not  to  go  back  to  Charlie,  and  I  told  her  I  had  to.  I 
showed  her  my  money  $700,  when  she  said  I  wouldn't  have 
it  long  if  I  went  with  him.  She  then  told  me  I  could 
never  come  back  to  her  house.  [All  this  was  ruled  out  as 
incompetent.]  Excepted  to  by  Mr.  Trude. 

"  On  another  occasion  he  made  me  stand  in  a  door-way 
after  I  had  given  him  some  money,  until  he  went  in  an 
alley  by  the  board  of  trade  and  played  the  races.  On 


8TUHLA-ST1LE3   TKAUEUY.  •      105 

Friday  we  went  to  Kingsley's  where  be  asked  rue  for  money 
to  pay  for  the  meal.  I  handed  him  ray  money  and  he  kept 
it  all  but  $GO,  or  $70,  which  he  threw  back  to  me.  Oil 
Sunday  he  asked  for  breakfast  money,  and  I  asked  him 
what  he  had  done  with  all  he  had  got  from-  me.  Ho 
showed  me  a  lot  of  pool  tickets  and  said  he  had  bet  it  on 
the  races.  I  asked  him  how  we  were  to  get  along;  he  said 
we  would  get  along  some  way.  He  got  a  little  money  and 
went  out  promising  to  be  back  at  11  o'clock.  Mrs.  Harvey 
brought  me  a  note,  I  read  it  and  called  her  back.  It  \vus  ;i 
note  bidding  me  good-by — to  go  where  I  came  from.  I 
left  the  note  on  the  table  in  the  room.  I  don't  know 
where  it  is,  or  what  has  become  of  it.  I  couldn't  get  the 
messenger  who  had  brought  it — the  boy  was  gone.  Then 
I  got  the  colored  girl  to  go  with  me  to  the  board  of  trade. 
We  went  there  and  it  was  closed.  I  didn't  think  about  its 
being  Sunday.  I  wanted  to  see  him  and  ask  him  if  he 
meant  what  he  said  in  the  note.  I  sent  the  colored  girl 
with  a  card  to  the  Owl  club.  There  I  met  him  as  he  got 
off  a  car.  He  asked  me  what  I  was  doing  there,  and  I 
told  him,  I  wanted  to  see  him.  We  went  to  the  park  on 
the  North  side  and  sat  on  the  grass  and  talked.  Then  we 
came  south,  and,  getting  on  the  cable-car,  took  a  ride. 
We  got  out  and  went  in  a  saloon,  where  he  ordered  two 
beers.  Then  we  came  back  and  he  asked  me  to  take  a 
drive.  We  went  to  a  stable  on  Wabash  avenue  and  drove 
out  to  Sunnyside.  He  asked  me  for  some  money.  I  told 
him  I  had  none,  I  had  given  it  all  to  him.  Ho  told  me  that 
he  had  heard  that  I  had  plenty  of  money,  and  wanted 
$1,500.  I  said  I  couldn't  give  it  to  him.  Then  he  wanted 
$1,000.  I  said  he  couldn't  get  any.  We  got  to  Sunnyside 
and  he  ordered  the  supper.  While  waiting  for  supper  we 
sat  on  the  porch  and  he  ordered  two  beers.  I  just  sipped 
mine  and  then  threw  it  aside.  I  had  my  pocket  book  in 


166  STUBLA-STTLE8  TRAGHDT. 

his  hat  which  I  held  in  my  lap.  He  kept  ordering  beer 
and  said,  '  Effie,  why  don't  you  drink  ?  I  want  to  see  you 
get  drunk.  I  never  saw  you  drunk  and  I  want  to  see  how 
you'll  act.'  I  went  to  the  piano  and  sung  and  played  a 
little  until*  we  went  to  supper.  At  supper  he  said:  '  Can't 
you  go  to  Carrie's  and  get  $500  for  me  ?  She  will  lend  it 
to  you  and  you  can  go  back  and  make  it.'  He  kept  ^saying 
I  must  get  $500  for  him,  and  told  me  to  write  to  some 
men  and  borrow  it.  Then  he  struck  me,  and  told  me  to 
pay  for  the  supper  while  he  went  and  ordered  the  horses. 
"When  I  went  out  on  the  porch  I  found  he  was  .gone." 

(She  screamed  the  last  words  and  burying  her  face  in  her 
hands  sobbed  the  rest,  getting  wilder  and  wilder  at  every 
word.)  "  The  bar-keeper  was  drunk  and  insulted  me.  He 
wanted  me  to  go  some  where  with  him.  Then  I  got  a  boy 
to  go  with  me  and  we  started  to  walk.  It  lightened  and 
thundered  and  rained!  I  fell  over — a — log — or — some- 
thing,— and  it  lightened  and  thundered  and  rained.  We 
passed  a  grave-yard  and  I  saw  everything.  The  flashes 
were  bright  when  it  lightened, — and — I  saw — my  old  Jem 
More — and — and — everybody !  That  is  all  I  remember. 

"The  next  thing  I  remember,  I  saw — him  chasing  me — 
around  the  room ;  the  next — the  next — O  God !  the  next 
that  I  had  killed  him ! "  (Her  face  had  been  in  her  hands, 
her  breast  heaving  and  violent  sobs  breaking  between 
every  word.  The  dead  face  of  Charles  Stiles  had  risen 
before  her,  as  she  saw  it  that  fatal  morning  at  the  Palmar 
house,  when  she  bent  over  and  kissed  the  pallid  lips  of 
death.  The  storm  of  that  night,  the  ghostly  scenes  in  the 
grave-yard,  the  phantom  creations  of  a  superstitious  mind, 
the  resurrected  forms  of  her  deceased  friends,  her  mother's 
face  as  she  last  saw  it,  all  were  rising  before  her  and  pass- 
ing in  review  in  that  short  whirl  of  the  brain  as  she  cried, 
"  I  killed  him ! "  She  rose  spasmodically  from  her  seat, 


STURIA-STILES   TUAQEDY.  167 

clutched  the  air  and  fell  to  the  floor,  her  arms  striking  the 
table  where  were  seated  the  official  phonographer  and  the 
Times  representative.  Scream  after  scream  came  from  her 
throat,  and  four  bailiffs  rushed  to  her.  These  four  strong 
men  were  powerless  to  control  that  girlish  form  as  she 
struggled  and  tore  at  her  breast.  "Take  her  out!  Tuke 
her  out !  "  called  out  the  Court  and  others,  but  there  was 
more  difficulty  than  was  imagined.  She  gnashed  her  teeth 
and  bit  at  her  captors,  until  partially  exhausted  from  her 
frenzied  efforts  and  screams,  they  succeeded  in  bearing  her 
out  of  the  court-room  into  an  adjoining  appartmeut.) 

During  the  last  words  of  her  testimony,  when  her  heart 
seemed  breaking  and  the  spectators  were  all  shading  their 
eyes,  Mr.  Trude,  the  attorney  for  the  defense,  rose  from  his 
seat,  and  withdrawing  from  where  the  jury  could  see  bis 
face,  he  stood  dazed,  the  tears  rolling  down  his  cheeks  and 
his  lips  quivering  with  sympathetic  emotion.  He  was  not 
the  only  one.  There  was  many  a  strong  man  doing  the 
same.  Her  senseless  form  was  borne  out  of  the  room,  the 
bearers  passing  immediately  in  front  of  the  murdered 
lovers'  mother,  whose  eyes  never  lost  their  glitter  and  on 
whose  lips  not  a  quiver  was  perceptible.  It  was  nothing  to 
her  what  that  woman  suffered,  if  indeed  she  suffered  at  all, 
but  was  merely  acting.  Mr.  Mills  and  Mr.  Richard  Stilus 
smiled — the  only  two  men  who  did,  because  they  believed 
she  was  shamming.  In  the  ante-room  she  was  placed  upon 
a  table,  perfectly  rigid,  her  breast  heaving,  her  eyes  closed, 
and  her  lips  trembling  like  an  aspen  leaf,  while  every  tinge 
of  color  was  gone,  leaving  her  face  of  a  deathly  pallor.  The 
physicians  examined  her  and  waited  for  nature  to  restore 
itself.  Dr.  A.  Reeves  Jackson  was  among  the  first  to  enter 
the  room,  when  he  felt  her  pulse  and  examined  into  her 
condition;  and  though  called  by  the  prosecution  as  a  wit- 
ness against  the  woman,  unhesitatingly  stated  that  she  was 


168  8TUKLA-ST1LES  TEAGEDY. 

suffering  from  a  very  pronounced  attack  of  hysteria,  and  re- 
pelled with  indignation  insinuations  made  by  a  member  of 
the  Owl  Club  that  she  was  feigning.  Dr.  Jackson's  opinion 
was  formed  after  a  careful  examination  of  her  eyes  (the  lids 
of  which  he  pulled  back }  and  her  hands  and  pulse. 

Dr.  Jackson  was  closely  followed  by  the  leading  physi- 
cians of  the  defense,  Drs.  Brown  and  Lyman,  gentlemen 
standing  very  high  in  their  profession,  and  relied  upon  by 
the  prosecution  in  important  cases  for  effective  service; 
These  gentlemen  examined  the  woman,' and  said  it  was  im- 
possible for  her  to  be  acting.  "  She  might  scream,"  said 
one,  "but  she  could  not  stop  her  pulse."  The  pulse  had 
completely  ceased  its  throbbing,  and  her  form  was  quite 
cold.  Judge  Gardner  exhibited  plainly  that  he  was  affect- 
ed, and  the  jury,  stern  as  they  tried  to  look,  were  also  glad 
that  court  immediately  adjourned  and  that  they  could  es- 
cape the  scrutiny  of  the  public. 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

THIRTEENTH  DAY— DECEMBER  5th,  1882. 

Judge  Gardner  examined  Drs.  Lyman  and  Brown  as  to 
the  condition  of  the  prisoner,  and  on  their  representation  as 
to  her  inability  to  appear,  the  case  was  adjourned  until  the 
next  day. 

FOURTEENTH  DAY — DECEMBER  6lH. 

The  defendant  was  called  to  the  stand  and  is  by  Mr.  Mills 
cross-examined. 

Q. — Did  you  ever  keep  a  house  of  ill-fame  ? 

A. — At  Charlie's  request  I  kept  No.  10  Clark  street, 
which  was  an  assignation  house. 

I  can  not  tell  how  much  money  I  made;  I  never  had 
$7,000  of  Charlie's  money,  and  he  never  gave  me  over  $100 
in  his  life;  I  never  told  R.  D.  Stiles  that  I  had  that  much 
of  his  money;  I  did  not  jump  on  a  train  as  it  was  starting 
for  Dixon  and  say  that  I  was  going  there  to  show  myself  up 
to  '  papa'  and  'mamma'  Stiles  and  that  I  was  just  as  good 
as  any  of  them;  I  did  not  see  Charlie  take  out  his  watch 
and  offer  it  to  me;  I  can  not  tell  how  often  I  handled  a  re- 
volver; I  have  often  pointed  one  at  him  to  frighten  him;  I 
did  not  tell  Mr.  Robinson  that  I  had  Charlie's  money  or  got 
any  money  from  him :  I  did  not  tell  any  member  of  the 
Stiles  family  that  I  had  any  of  Charlie's  money  or  was  his 
banker. 

lie-direct,  by  Mr.  Trude: 

How  many  of  the  Stiles  family  did  you  see  in  Watson's 
house  at  one  time  ? 


170  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

A* — I  saw — 

By  Mr.  Mills:— I  object. 

The  Court — You  can  not  show  the  acts  of  the  entire 
Stiles  family. 

By  Mr.  Trude — No,  your  Honor,  least  it  make  even  us 
lawyers  blush  with  shame  at  the  recital. 

Dr.  Reeves  Jackson  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

A. — Yes,  I  am  here  as  a  medical  expert  on  behalf  of  the 
State,  and  I  saw  the  defendant  when  she  fell  from  the 
stand. 

Q. — Did  you  examine  her  at  my  request  ? 

A. — I  went  with  the  other  physicians  and  examined  hsr. 

Q. — Did  you  feel  of  her  pulse  and  examine  her  or  test  her 
eyes  and  limbs,  with  the  view  of  learning  whether  she  was 
feigning  or  not  ? 

A. — I  did  as  best  I  could;  you  were  in  there  about  the 
first  person,  Dr.  Lyman  next,  and  I  followed  and  Dr.  Brown 
came  after.  I  should  say  she  was  not  feigning,  but  was  at- 
tacked by  hysterics  acute  in  their  nature. 

Cross-examination  waived. 

Edward  Robey  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

Am  a  lawyer  by  profession;  two  years  ago  I  lived  in 
Lake  Tiew ;  at  about  that  time  a  woman  whom  I  take  to  be 
the  defendant  came  to  my  house;  her  clothes  were  dis- 
ordered and  covered  with  burs;  I  sent  two  servant  girls 
with  her  to  the  cars;  Hived  beyond  the  grave-yard. 

Cross  examination  waived. 

Mrs.  W.  P.  Black  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude: 

I  am  the  wife  of  Capt.  W.  P.  Black,  Congressional  can- 
didate in  the  Third  district;  have  often  visited  defendant 
in  jail;  there  were  no  receptions  there,  no  hilarity,  no  levees, 
but  quiet  and  decorum  prevailed. 


STUULA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  171 

FIFTEENTH   DAY — DECEMBER   7th,  1882. 

Dr.  Daniel  E.  Brower  sworn,  examined  by  A.  S.  Trade: 

Ain  physician ;  am  connected  with  St.  Joseph  Hospital, 
of  this  city,  and  was  formerly  superintendent  of  insane  asy- 
lums; yes,  I  have  been  called  upon  as  a  witness  in  several 
cases  of  note  as  an  expert  both  by  the  State  and  defense. 

The  hypothetical  question  referred  to  w^  then  put  to  the 
witness,  who,  in  answer,  said  that  she  was  undoubtedly  in- 
sane at  the  time  of  the  shooting. 

By  Mr.  Trude — Can  you  draw  the  line  between  histeria 
and  insanity  ? 

A. — I  can  not  and  no  living  man  can — and  no  one  dead 
ever  attempted  it. 

Q. — Will  not  constant  brutality  alone,  constantly  inflicted 
upon  a  female  of  an  ardent  nature,  produce  a  condition  of 
insanity  ? 

A.— It  will 

Q. — Will  not  brutality,  inflicted  for  say  five  years,  be  as 
likely  to  drive  a  woman  insane  as  any  other  predisposing 
cause  of  insanity  ? 

A. — 'Yes,  sir. 

Q. — Have  you  any  cases  which  you  have  treated  that  you 
can  give  to  the  jury  with  regard  to  menstrual  difficulty  ? 

A. — Yes.  A  young  lady  patient  has  to  be  constantly 
watched  upon  every  occasion  of  her  periods,  for  fear  that 
*he  will  commit  homicide.  The  relations  that  the  sexual 
orpins  bear  to  the  home  of  thought — the  brain — is  very 
close  and  intimate,  and  when  it  is  shown  that  this  young 
woman  had  this  disease,  dysmenorrhoa,  and  was  menstru- 
ating on  the  night  of  July  9th,  when  in  an  excitable  frame 
of  niind  she  walked  three  miles  in  a  violent  rain-storm,  tak- 
ing cold, — this  preceded  by  the  acts  of  brutality  referred  to 
by  you, — she  would  be  a  wonder  if  she  preserved  her  equi- 
librium. 


172  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

Q. — Is  not  disappoinment  in  love  a  frequent  cause  of 
mental  disturbance  ? 

A. — It  is  particularly  so  in  women;  several  good  cases 
are  cited  in  Blandford,  p.  230. 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills,  who  asked  the  witness  his 
hypothetical  question. 

A. — That  can  not  be  answered  by  either  yes  or  no,  for  in 
it  are  some  things  that  would  indicate  sanity  and  other 
things  that  would  indicate  insanity. 

Q. — Is  there  any  thing  insane  in  buying  a  pistol,  trying 
it  to  see  if  it  would  be  sure,  to  go  off  ? 

A. — There  might  or  might  not  be. 

Q. — Is  there  any  thing  insane  in  getting  up  early  in  the 
morning  before  there  is  any  possibility  of  the  victim  escap- 
ing her,  going  to  his  room  and  feigning  a  boy's  voice  in 
order  to  get  at  him  ? 

A. — There  might  or  might  not  be.  The  insane  fre- 
quently resort  to  a  depth  of  cunning  scarcely  possible  to 
attain  by  a  reasoning  mind. 

Q. — Then  having  seen  him,  she  deliberately  fires  two 
shots  at  him,  one  of  which  kills  him;  she  exults  in  her 
crime  and  says  she  is  glad  of  it,  etc.  Is  there  any  thing 
insane  in  this  ? 

A. — You  are  asking  me,  Mr.  Mills,  if  a  nail  and  a  shingle 
make  a  house.  You  put  all  the  ingredients  together,  and  I 
can  answer  you,  but  to  ask  me  whether  shooting  a  pistol  or 
buying  one  is  an  insane  act,  I  must  say  it  may  or  may  not 
be.  Give  me  the  previous  history  of  the  person  who  bought 
the  pistol  and  let  me  know  what,  if  any,  influences  have 
been  at  work  calculated  to  make  a  human  being  insane, 
then  I  can  answer  you.  An  insane  person  can  exult,  as  in 
the  Oxford  case.  An  insane  person  can  resort  to  cunning, 
fire  a  pistol,  etc.,  as  in  the  Hadfield  case;  all  this  can  be 
done  by  a  sane  person.  Your  question  is  hardly  a  proper 


STDRLA- STILES  TRAGEDY.  173 

one,  in  my  opinion,  either  from  a  medical  or  a  legal  stand- 
point. 

Q. — I  want  you  to  answer  my  question  without  comment, 
sir. 

Mr.  Trude — I  desire  to  protect  the  Doctor  from  insult 
when  he  testifies  for  the  State.  Mr.  Mills  eulogizes  him  so 
high  that  he  is  lost  in  the  clouds. 

The  Court — Let  the  question  be  answered. 

Mr.  Mills,  loudly — The  Court  has  decided  that  the  ques- 
tion shall  be  answered. 

Mr.  Trude,  determinedly — But  I  propose  to  present  our 
exception;  it  is  my  legal  right  and  no  one  in  this  court  can 
stop  me. 

The  Court  directed  both  attorneys  to  be  quiet. 

The  exception  was  entered,  and  the  witness  answered: 
The  question  can  not  be  answered  by  a  yes  or  no. 

Dr.  Henry  Lyman,  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Trude : 

I  have  practiced  here  for  twenty-two  years.  Am  pro- 
fessor of  several  colleges;  am  familiar  with  diseases  of  the 
mind.  Disorders  of  the  sexual  organs  are  frequent  causes 
of  insanity  in  women.  I  never  saw,  and  in  the  literature 
of  my  profession,  I  never  read  of  so  severe  a  case  of  hys- 
terics as  that  shown  in  this  case.  (Hypothetical  questions 
of  Mr.  Trade  and  of  Mr.  Mills  were  here  put  to  the  wit- 
ness.) Blending  the  hypothetical  question  of  Mr.  Mills  and 
\curself  just  asked  me,  I  should  say  she  was  insane  at  the 
time  of  the  firing  of  the  shot  on  the  morning  of  July  10.  I 
do  not  regard  the  proper  basis  for  testing  responsibility,  by 
a  knowledge  of  right  or  wrong.  Sir  Alex.  Cockburn,  Lord 
Chief  Justice  of  England,  had  recently  pointed  out,  recog- 
nizing as  he  did  that  the  proper  basis  for  testing  responsi- 
bility was  not  by  an  ability  to  discriminate  between  right 
and  wrong,  but  the  power  of  controlling  the  ivill — the  neces- 
sity of  revising  the  criminal  laws. 


174  SdmtLA-STlLES  TRAGEDY. 


A  person  may  know  the  difference  between  right  and 
wrong  and  be  unable  to  choose  the  right;  there  are  a  num- 
ber of  such  cases  found  in  the  books.  (To  avoid  tautology 
do  not  cite  the  cases  here;  nothing  will  be  found  in  Mr. 
Trude's  argument.)  The  irresistable  impulse  takes  posses- 
sion of  the  person  so  that  he  or  she  is  but  as  a  straw  in  a 
gale  of  wind,  devoid  of  power  of  controlling  himself  or  her- 
self. Have  often  been  witness  for  the  State  in  lunatic 
cases;  was  witness  in  Peter  Stevens  case. 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

Q.  —  Do  you  regard  her  insane  now  ? 

A.  —  That  question  can  hardly  be  answered.  She  is  the 
victim  of  paroxymal  insanity. 

Q.  —  Do  you  think  that  if  it  were  true  the  defendant  lied 
while  on  the  stand  in  such  a  case,  she  would  be  responsible 
for  perjury  ? 

Mr.  Trude,  rising  quickly  —  I  object,  as  the  remark  was 
intended  as  a  characterization  of  the  defendant's  evidence 
in  the  hearing  of  the  jury,  and  is  bullying  and  unfair  in  its 
nature- 

Mr.  Mills  —  I  submit  that  the  question  is  not  improper, 
and  as  to  a  characterization  of  the  evidence  of  the  witness 
wait  till  by  and  by. 

By  the  Court  —  Let  it  go  in. 

Mr.  Trude  —  Exception. 

A.  —  If  she  is  insane  now  she  ought  not  to  be  held  respon- 
sible. I  may  say,  Mr.  Mills,  that  the  insane  impulse  that 
prompts  the  firing  of  a  pistol  shot  is  unlike  the  rambling 
of  an  insane  witness;  I  do  not  regard  her  story  on  the 
stand  as  insane  utterances,  but  a  vivid  narrative  of  what 
occurred  as  she  remembered  it. 

Ke-direct  by  Mr.  Trude: 

I  saw  the  defendant  when  she  fell  from  the  witness  box, 
and  examined  her  in  the  room  to  which  she  was  taken; 


BTURLA-8TILES  TRAGEDY.  17o 

her  limbs  were  rigid;  there  was  no  sensation  in  her  eyes; 
I  put  my  finger  on  the  pupil  of  her  eye  and  there  was  no 
response.  My  opinion  is  that  she  had  an  attack  of  hyste- 
reo-epilepsy. 

SIXTEENTH   DAY DECEMBER   8th,  1882. 

In  rebuttal. 

Mrs.  Sybil  Catherine  Stiles,  sworn,  examined  by  Mr. 
Mills: 

Am  the  mother  of  Charles  Stiles,  d( ceased;  my  son  was 
thirty-three  years  old;  my  son  was  educated  in  Europe; 
studied  in  Geneva  and  Dresden.  Up  to  time  of  his  death 
was  caller  of  the  Chicago  call  board.  His  salary  was 
$6,000  per  year.  The  first  time  I  saw  the  defendant  was 
August  25th,  A.  D.  1881;  that  was  the  day  before  my  hus- 
band died.  I  went  to  the  house  where,  my  son  and  hus- 
band were  staying,  No.  371  Wabash  avenue,  rang  the  door- 
bell; when  this  woman  appeared,  I  asked  if  my  husband 
was  in;  I  determined  to  keep  this  woman  at  a  distance; 
she  pointed  to  a  door;  I  went  in,  saw  my  husband.  At 
dinner  I  saw  her;  she  was  elaborately  dressed;  she  was 
quiet  and  pretended  to  be  modest;  was  always  cool  and 
self-possessed. 

Cross-examined: 

I  can  not  say  whether  the  letters  shown  me  were  written 
by  my  son ;  I  can't  tell  whether  they  are  in  his  handwriting 
or  not. 

Richard  D.  Stiles  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

I  was  never  at  the  house  referred  to  till  Charlie's  father 
was  taken  there;  never  heard  of  the  defendant  till  then. 
After  that  I  saw  her  several  times;  .noticed  nothing  pecu- 
liar in  her  conduct.  The  day  before  Charlie's  father  was, 
buried  I  called  at  the  house.  She  said  she  had  at  one 
time  $7,000  of  his  (Charlie's)  money  and  used  to  act  as  his 
banker.  Mrs.  Harvey  told  me  that  the  marks  on  defend- 


176  STUKLA-ST1LES  TRAGEDY. 

ant's  neck  were  there  when  she  came  home  from  Sunny- 
side  Sunday  night. 

Cross-examination : 

Never  knew  that  nearly  all  the  male  members  of  the 
Stiles  family  lived  off  from  this  woman.  Yes,  I  am  a  scalper 
on  the  Board  of  Trade.  Have  taken  quite  an  interest  in 
this  case.  Cannot  tell  my  own  nephew's  handwriting. 

Mrs.  Mary  M.  Robinson  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

Am  the  aunt  of  Charles  Stiles  and  reside  in  Council 
Bluffs,  Iowa.  I  was  present  when  General  E.  B.  Stiles 
died  in  August,  1881.  I  met  the  prisoner  at  371  Wabash 
avenue  and  told  her  that  Charlie  told  me  to  take  possession 
of  the  furniture  and  the  house,  and  the  best  thing  for  her 
to  do  was  to  quietly  leave  him  and  lead  a  more  reputable 
life;  that  she  was  pulling  Charles  down.  She  said  in  reply 
'If  Charlie  undertakes  to  leave  me  I  will  kill  him  and  his 
d — d  marble-hearted  Methodist  mother  besides.'  As  she 
said  this  she  looked  as  if  she  meant  it.  Her  eyes  looked 
fierce  and  her  dark  face  flushed.  I  told  her  that  she  would 
be  supplied  with  money.  She  said  that  she  already  had 
between  $6,000  and  $7,000  of  Charlie's  money  then,  and 
that  if  he  left  her  he  would  never  get  a  cent.  Charlie  had 
some  clothing  laying  around  the  room.  I  wanted  to  pick 
them  up  and  pack  them  away,  when  she  drew  a  revolver 
and  told  me  in  a  ringing  voice  to  let  them  alone  or  she 
would  put  a  hole  through  me.  Of  course,  I  let  the  clothes 
alone  after  that.  "When  we  subsequently  set  down  to  lunch, 
she  put  the  revolver  on  a  table.  She  paid  for  the  lunch  out 
of  a  roll  of  money  that  she  took  from  her  person.  She  was  a 
dead  weight  on  the  neck  of  my  nephew  and  was  ruining  him. 

(On  motion  last  part  of  answer  of  witness  stricken  out.) 
'  Cross- examintion: 

I  have  known  my  nephew  since  childhood  and  have  seen 
him  write  and  have  corresponded  with  him. 


STtJRlA- STILES  TRACED?.  17? 

(Here  witness  is  shown  letters  introduced  and  read  in 
evidence,  and  is  asked  by  counsel  if  they  are  not  in  the 
handwriting  of  Charles  Stiles.) 

A. — I  don't  know. 

Q. — Was  not  your  nephew  on  a  tour  when  he  met  the 
defendant  at  Madame  Fay's  house  in  Baltimore,  in  1877, 
that  involved  gambling,  betting  on  horse  racing,  mingling 
with  fast  women,  and  wine  drinking? 

A. — I  suppose  so. 

Q. — Was  not  your  nephew  a  debauchee,  libertine,  drunkard 
and  gambler  before  he  ever  saw  the  defendant — in  order 
that  your  answer  may  be  the  result  of  conscientious  reflec- 
tion, look  at  his  letters,  which  you  must  know  to  be  his? 

A. — He  may  have  been ;  I  have  heard  that  he  —as. 

Otto  Ernst  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

Am  a  saloon-keeper  at  Lake  View.  On  Sunday  evening, 
July  9th,  the  defendant  and  a  boy  came  into  my  place  out 
of  the  rain.  She  wanted  to  know  how  soon  she  could  take 
a  car  to  go  to  the  Palmer  House;  she  said  that  she  had 
been  abandoned  by  the  gentleman  who  was  with  her  on 
their  way  out.  I  saw  them  on  their  way  out,  for  they 
called  at  my  place  to  water  their  horse.  She  appeared 
calm;  no  signs  of  excitement. 

Benjamin  Price  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

Am  at  work  in  the  jail;  saw  the  defendant  often  since 
she  has  been  there;  her  conduct  in  the  jail  is  that  of  a  per- 
son in  full  possession  of  her  faculties;  receives  company, 
laughs  and  sings.  I  have  seen  no  signs  of  insanity;  she 
has  been  able  to  consult  with  her  attorney ;  up  to  the  time 
the  case  was  called  for  trial  he  was  seldom  at  the  jail,  but 
since  then  has  been  there  often.  The  day  before  she  testi- 
fied he  spent  two  hours  in  her  company. 

Cross-examination: 

Among  the  duties  I  am  called  upon  to  perform  are  not 
11 


178  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

those  of  spy  on  females  or  attorneys,  but  I  watched  in  this 
case;  can't  tell  why  I  spend  so  much  time  in  the  female 
department. 

Dr.  James  S.  Jewell  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills: 

Dr.  James  S.  Jewell  testified  as  to  his  connection  with 
the  Chicago  University,  and  twelve  years'  study  of  the 
diseases  of  the  nervous  system  and  mind. 

Q. — Did  you  hear  read  the  hypothetical  questions  sub- 
mitted by  the  defense  and  the  State? 

A.— I  did. 

Q. — Was  she  insane  or  sane  on  July  10th,  1882  ? 

A. — I  think  she  was  legally  sane  in  the  eyes  of  the  law. 

Q. — On  what  do  you  base  this  opinion? 

A. — Simply  by  the  symptoms  and  signs  manifested. 
Dysmenorrhea  is  a  common  trouble  among  women,  and  is 
frequent;  dysmenorrhea,  in  proportion  to  insanity,  is  very 
small;  just  how  much  I  cannot  say. 

Cross-examination : 

Q. — Doctor,  did  you  ever  read  Bay  ? 

A.— Yes. 

Q. — You  could  not  have  read  it  carefully  or  you  would 
have  seen  the  Harris  and  Brazcer  cases,  would  you  not? 

A. — I  guess  not,  carefully. 

Q. — Ain't  it  true  that  both  these  women  are  judged  in- 
sane from  this  disease,  and  that  the  medical  profession  at 
large  admit  of  the  correctness  of  the  decision  ? 

No  answer. 

Mr.  Trude:  I  ask  your  Honor  to  rule  on  the  witness  to 
answer. 

A. — I  can't  say. 

Q. — Do  you  recognize  such  a  thing  as  partial  insanity? 

A. — I  do  not. 

Q. — Doctor,  you  see  these  books  open  before  me,  written 
by  Bay,  Ordronaux,  Nichols,  and  Blanford,  in  which  they 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  179 

say  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  partial  insanity — you 
differ  from  them,  do  you  not  ? 

A. — Most  decidedly. 

Q. — You  also  differ,  do  you  not,  with  Hammond,  and 
Gross,  and  again  with  Ray's  Medical  Jurisprudence,  page 
1G4,  on  this  subject? 

A.— I  do. 

(By  Trude:)  I  am  sorry  for  them,  for  they  have  been 
deceiving  the  medical  profession  for  more  than  forty  years- 
(Laughter.) 

Q. — Doctor,  you  say  there  is  such  a  thing  as  legal  in- 
sanity ? 

A.— I  do. 

Q. — Name  to  this  jury  a  single  writer  on  nervous  diseases, 
mental  derangements,  psychology,  or  insanity,  that  recog- 
nizes legal  insanity,  or  a  single  book  wherein  the  phrase  can 
be  found  ? 

A. — (After  a  long  wait.)     I  cannot. 

Q. — Doctor.  I  hold  in  my  hand,  the  31st  of  Illinois  Ke- 
ports,  and  read  from  page  390,  what  is  known  as  Hopp's 
case,  and  read  the  language  of  a  distinguished  jurist,  Chief 
Justice  Breese:  "It  is  now  generally  conceded  'that  in- 
sanity is  a  disease  of  the  brain,  of  that  mass  of  matter, 
through  and  by  which  that  mysterious  power,  the  mind 
acts.  There  the  mind  is  supposed  to  be  entranced,  acting 
through  separate  and  distinct  organs.  These  organs  may 
become  diseased,  one  or  more,  or  all,  and  in  the  degree  or 
to  the  extent  of  such  disease  is  insanity  measured.  A 
disease  of  all  the  organs  causes  total  insanity,  while  of  one 
or  more,  partial  insanity  only."  You  see,  Doctor,  do  you 
not,  a  legal  definition  of  insanity  by  a  legal  gentleman  of 
renown,  and  he  in  common  with  the  distinguished  men  in 
your  profession,  is  in  error? 

A. — It  seems  so. 


180  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

Q. — You  undertake  to  overrule  tlie  Supreme  Court  of 
our  State,  do  you  not,  Do.ctor,  and  put  your  feet  upon  all 
the  literature  of  your  profession,  on  the  question  of  partial 
insanity  ?  (Laughter).  Objection  from  Mr.  Mills.  Ques- 
tion withdrawn. 

Q. — Is  not  "legal  insanity,"  a  phrase  of  your  own, 
learned  by  you  in  the  States  Attorney's  office  ? 

A. — I  used  it  before. 

Q. — Have  you  ever  been  connected  with  an  insane 
asylum,  in  an  official  capacity  ? 

A. — No  sir,  but  I  have  treated  nervous  diseases  of 
women  for  thirty  years. 

Q. — Can  you  draw  a  line  between  legal  and  medical 
insanity  ? 

A. — I  can  not. 

SEVENTEENTH   DAY DECEMBER    9TH,  1882. 

Dr.  A.  Keves  Jackson  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills. 

Am  a  practicing  physician  of  some  sixteen  year's  stand- 
ing, and  sustain  official  relations  with  several  asylums  for 
the  insane;  am  familiar  with  diseases  of  the  reproductive 
organs  and'  with  the  disease  dysmenorrhea;  have  heard  the 
hypothetical  question  of  the  State  read,  and  assuming  it  to 
be  true,  would  say  that  the  prisoner  was  sane  at  the  time 
of  the  firing  of  the  shot  in  question  that  killed  Stiles. 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Trude. 

Q. — Taking  both  questions  together,  Doctor,  what  would 
you  say  as  to  her  condition  with  regard  to  sanity  or  in- 
sanity on  July  10. 

A. — Medically  insane. 

Q. — Taking  the  prisoner's  question  above,  Doctor,  what 
would  you  say  as  to  her  mental  condition  at  the  time  stated? 

A. — I  should  say  the  question  contained  many  elements 
of  insanity;  taken  as  a  whole  I  can  not  with  safety  say. 


S1UUIA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  181 

Re-clirect  by  Mr.  Mills. 

Q. — Eliminating  from  the  defense's  question,  melancholy, 
delusion,  incoherence  and  want  of  memory,  what  would 
you  say  ? 

A. — I  should  say  she  was  sane.  Seeing  i'aces  at  a  grave 
yard  is  not  an  insane  delusion.  Want  of  memory  and  in- 
coherence does  not  prove  insanity. 

Dr.  Bluthardt  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills. 

Am  County  physician,  and  as  such  am  now  and  have  for 
several  years  been  brought  in  contact  with  insane  persons, 
and  have  treated  them  for  years;  heard  the  hypothetical 
question  of  the  State;  should  say  she  was  sane  when  the 
shot  was  fired;  have  frequently  seen  the  prisoner  in  jail; 
never  saw  evidence  of  insanity  in  her. 

Dr.. Walter  Hay  sworn,  examined  by  Mr.  Mills. 

Am  professor  in  Chicago  Medical  College;  I  have 
made  a  special  study  of  nervous  and  mental  diseases;  have 
heard  read  the  hpy^thetical  question  of  the  State,  and  in 
reply  say  that  in  my  opinion  she  was  sane  on  July  10  last, 
when  she  killed  Charles  Stiles. 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Trude. 

Q. — Taking  both  questions  together,  Doctor,  what  would 
you  say  as  to  ner  condition  at  the  time  of  the  alleged 
killing? 

A. — They  are  so  inconsistent  that  it  is  not  possible  to 
take  them  together.  I  do  not  believe  in  partial  insanity, 
and  disagree  with  the  Supreme  Court.  That  is  a  question 
of  law  with  which  we  doctors  have  nothing  to  do.  "NVt; 
doctors  often  disagree  with  each  other,  and  it  would  not  be 
strange  if  we  disagreed  with  you  lawyers  or  Supreme 
Court  judges.  I  do  not  believe  in  intcrmittant  insanity  or 
moral  insanity.  Unlike  my  medical  brothers  called  by  the 
State,  I  am  unable  to  make  'any  distinction  between  legal 
and  medical  insanity. 


CHAPTEE  X. 
THE  CLOSING  SPEECHES. 

[The  closing  speeches  as  here  given,  are  verbatim  copies 
of  them  as  furnished  me  by  the  States  Attorney  and  the 
attorney  for  the  defense.  That  of  Mr.  Mills  was  taken 
from  the  Chicago  Tribune,  of  Dec.  14th.  In  it  all  analysis 
and  repetitions  of  evidence  is  by  him  omitted.  Hence  the 
seeming  inharmouy  between  the  speeches  of  the  two  dis- 
tinguished attorneys,  as  to  length  and  oratory,  is  not  to  be 
attributed  to  the  author,  who  had  compiled  the  report  of 
the  trial  as  herein  presented.] 

"  The  Criminal  Court-room  was  more,  crowded  than  ever 
this  morning,  it  being  generally  known  that  the  arguments 
of  the  counsel  would  occupy  the  time.  The  audience,  both 
in  number  and  make-up,  was  such  as  is  seldom  seen  at  any 
trial,  criminal  or  otherwise. 

"Judges,  ministers,  states  attorneys,  doctors,  merchants, 
lawyers,  and  ladies  filled  the  court-room  to  overflowing  from 
morning  till  the  adjournment  of  the  court.  Among  these 
phenomenal  attendants  at  court  may  be  specially  named 
Judge  Dickey  and  Mrs.  Dickey,  Judge  Kellum,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Lloyd,  of  Lake  View;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Morrison,  States  Attor- 
ney Works,  of  Rockford;  States  Attorney  Wright,  of  Doug- 
las county;  States  Attorney  Sommers,  of  DeKalb;  States 
Attorney  Sellers,  and  States  Attorney  Whitlemore,  and  sev- 
eral of  the  states  attorneys  from  various  parts  of  the  State. 
Many  well-known  ladies,  prominent  in  social  circles,  were 
present.  One  old  gentleman  present,  in  order  to  hear  the 


8TURLA-8TILES  TRAGEDY.  183 

States  Attorney  make  his  closing  address,  had  come  900 
miles,  while  so  ,-eral  lawyers  from  Wisconsin  were  also  pres- 
ent, and  though  justly  enamored  of  their  own  great  legal 
orator,  Vilas,  pronounced  the  address  of  States  Attorney 
Mills  as  a  grander  effort  even  than  their  own  Vilas  had  ever 
made. 

"  The  defendant,  Theressa  Sturla,  was  even  more  than 
usually  well  arrayed.  Beside  her  during  a  considerable 
part  of  the  day  sat  Mrs.  Captain  Black  who,  for  nearly  an 
hour  and  a  half,  had  her  arm  affectionately  encircling  the 
neck  of  the  defendant. 

"  For  a  little  over  three  weeks  the  young  woman  has  sat 
in  the  court-room,  gazing  upon  the  gaping  wounds  of  mind 
and  body  opened  afresh,  looking  back  upon  all  the  years  of 
her  life.  Day  after  day  the  ghostly  procession  of  thoughts 
and  deeds  and  the  memories  of  the  past  wound  its  way 
through  the  court-room,  a  funeral  cortege  to  a  slain  lover. 

"  The  doors  of  the  galleries  were  thrown  open,  and  in  five 
minutes  every  seat  was  filled.  Crowding  against  the  railing 
of  the  bar  was  a  sea  of  faces,  on  every  one  of  which  was  out- 
lined a  deep  interest.  Distinguished  men  in  every  profes- 
sion, judges  and  lawyers  from  beyond  the  city,  clustered 
about,  taking  in  the  words  of  eloquence  and  gazing  upon 
the  shaded  face  of  the  prisoner.  With  his  honor  Judge 
Gardner  on  the  bench  were  seated  the  Hon.  T.  Lyle  Dickey 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  Mrs.  Dickey,  Judge  Calluni  of  the 
interior  of  the  State,  and  other  prominent  gentlemen.  At 
one  side  were  standing  Messrs.  A.  H.  Fethers  and  E.  Hyzer, 
of  Wisconsin,  and  a  few  members  of  the  bar  from  Indiana.' 
Tribune. 

Immediately  on  the  court  being  called  to  order  the  prose- 
cuting attorney  commenced  his  opening  address,  as  fol- 
lows:— 

"  In  beginning  my  address  to  the  jury  I  am  thankful  to 


184  STUBLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

be  able  to  tell  you  that  after  three  weeks'  toil  you  see  the 
approaching  close  of  this  great  investigation.  The  toil  has 
been  unwearying.  Your  minds  during  all  these  days  have 
been  strained  with  the  one  endeavor  to  accomplish  one 
great  object,  and  that  is  the  ascertaining  and  determining 
the  truth  and  right.  I  pray  Heaven  to  grant  that  when  you 
return  to  your  firesides  and  meet  the  hospitality  and  friend- 
ship in  your  homes  and  among  men,  you  can  look  all  men 
and  women  in  the  face  and  have  the  consciousness  that  you 
have  done  your  utmost  duty  toward  your  country  and  your 
God.  I  thank  you  sincerely  on  behalf  of  the  clientage  I 
represent,  for  the  attention  and  consideration  you  have  be- 
stowed on  the  case  in  regard  to  both  the  prosecution  and 
the  defense.  la  what  I  have  to  say  I  will  be  brief.  There 
is  little  to  be  added  to  what  was  said  in  my  opening  re- 
marks. I  then  said  that  there  would  be  certain  proofs  laid 
before  you  on  which  you  can  decide  as  to  the  homicide. 
The  counsel  for  the  defendant  denied  the  probability  of  the 
fulfillment  of  that  promise.  Every  promise  made  at  the 
opening  of  the  case  has  been  absolutely  and  literally  kept. 
I  then  said  that  the  defendant  went  to  the  Palmer  House 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  shooting  Charles  Stiles,  and  the  evi- 
dence showed  that  she  proclaimed  her  intention  to  take  his 
life;  and  when  she  did  take  it  she  said,  'I  told  him  I  would 
do  it,  I  came  here  to  do  it.  I  am  glad  I  have  done  it. 
Let  the  law  take  its  course  if  I  swing  for  it.'  I  would  call 
your  attention  to  certain  well  settled  principles  of  law  gov- 
erning the  case.  The  defendant  was  indicted  for  the  crime 
of  murder  committed  on  July  10th,  1882,  by  destroying  the 
life  of  Charles  Stiles  with  malice  aforethought,  and  I  will 
read  to  you  the  statutes  of  the  State  governing  homicide 
-and  denning  the  different  kinds  of  homicide.  (He  then 
read  from  the  statutes  and  from  the  decisions  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  to  show  that  when  one  went  armed  he  could. 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  185 

not  plead  that,  in  taking  his  assailant's  life  he  acted  in  self 
defense.  In  regard  to  the  defense  of  insanity,  he  read  from 
the  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  case  of  William 
Hopps  on  the  points  of  the  right  of  defendant  to  prove 
good  character,  and  that  the  burden  of  the  proof  lay  on  the 
prosecution.)  That  decision  laid  it  down  that  the  defend- 
ant might  prove  good  character  in  every  respect,  and  the 
prosecution  must  prove  the  absolute  guilt  of  defendant  be- 
yond a  reasonable  doubt. 

"  Chief  Justice  Breese  defines  legal  insanity  to  be  where 
the  prisoner  was  not  of  sound  mind  and  that  the  fact  of  the 
insanity  was  the  cause  of  the  act,  and  if  he  had  not  been 
insane  he  would  not  have  done  it. 

"  Just  four  minutes  elapsed  from  the  time  the  prisoner 
went  np-stairs  in  the  Palmer  House  till  the  young  man, 
with  all  his  sins  on  his  head,  lay  stark,  and  still  and  frozen 
in  the  winter  of  his  early  death.  I  ask  you  if  there  was  one 
symptom  of  insanity  in  her  case  ?  I  claim  not  one.  (  Ho 
read  from  the  decisions  to  show  that  where  the  plea  of  in- 
sanity is  set  up,  the  defendant  must  establish  the  fact  that 
the  act  was  committed  under  an  uncontrollable  impulse.) 

"  The  facts  on  which  the  prosecution  depended  were  brief- 
ly that  the  defendant  met  Charles  Stiles  in  Baltimore  in 
1875.  For  nearly  five  years  this  man  and  woman  lived  a 
life  of  the  most  unholy  character.  Their  life  together  w;is 
a  standing  menace  to  public  morals  and  a  constant  viola- 
tion of  law,  but  it  was  the  voluntary  act  of  the  man  and  the 
woman.  Those  years  were  marked  by  no  uncommon  cir- 
cumstances in  their  mode  of  life.  At  times  they  live  d 
peaceably;  at  other  times  they  quarreled  and  he  assaulted 
her  and  she  assaulted  him.  You  have  it  from  her  own  lips 
that  at  different  times  she  drew  a  revolver  on  him  and  made 
threats.  Some  of  the  physicians  have  testified  that  accord- 
ing to  the  hypothetical  question  put  by  the  defense  the  do^ 


186  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

fendant  was  insane.  I  do  not  refer  to  that  hypothetical 
question,  but  in  reply  to  the  address  of  the  counsel  on  the 
other  side  I  will  do  so  analytically,  and  will  show  you  where 
the  question  was  not  in  accordance  with  fact.  I  will  de- 
tain 3*ou  no  longer  at  present." 

Mr.  Mills  here  concluded  his  opening  argument  and  was 
iollowed  by  Mr.  Trude. 

Mr.  Trude,  in  rising,  said: 

"  I  am  no  less  earnest  and  sincere  than  the  State's  Attor- 
ney in  congratulating  you  on  the  evident  fact  that  this  pro- 
tracted trial  is  near  its  conclusion.  As  I  now  look  into 
your  faces,  I  plainly  see  that  your  enforced  confinement  is 
menacing  your  health.  That  you  are  solicitous  to  meet 
within  the  family  circle  your  wives  and  little  ones,  your 
parents  and  those  near  an'd  dear  to  you;  that  you  are  anx- 
ious to  resume  your  relations  with  the  outside  busy  world. 
It  has  been  and  still  is  my  desire  to  bring  this  case  to  as 
speedy  a  conclusion  as  possible,  consistent  with  my  duty  to 
the  unfortunate  prisoner  whose  life  now  rests  in  the  great 
scales  of  justice  poised  by  you.  Before  I  proceed  to  an 
analysis  of  the  testimony  I  desire  to  thank,  in  the  name  of 
justice,  the  State's  Attorney  for  reading  to  you  at  length 
the  case  in  the  45th  of  Georgia,  for  the  judge,  who  ren- 
dered the  decision  in  the  case — resurrected  from  the  grave 
with  the  habiliments  of  death  around  him — Charles  Stiles — 
and  when  that  judge  described  in  graphic  language  the 
vices  of  the  prisoner  in  that  case,  and  then  in  grandiloquent 
terms  referred  to  the  inevitable  retribution  that  follows 
closely  on  the  heels  of  a  career  of  crime;  he  pictured  a  man 
nearer  like  Stiles,  as  shown  by  the  evidence  in  this  case^ 
than  can  be  found  in  the  pages  of  any  work  of  law  or  of 
fiction.  Had  the  State's  Attorney  been  retained  by  the 
defense  he  could  not  have  rendered  more  substantial  ser- 
vice than  he  did  in  furnishing  that  authority.  It  has  no 


A.  S   TRUDE. 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  187 

application  to  the  prisoner  whatever.  She  is  a  victim  of 
countless  crimes  committed  by  hei  dead  lover;  not  the 
cause  or  the  inspiring  agent  of  a  single  crime.  In  passing 
upon  the  question  of  the  piisoner's  guilt  or  innocence,  on 
her  sanity  or  insanity,  it  is  your  duty  to  take  into  consider- 
ation Charles  Stiles'  strength  and  Madeline  Stiles'  weak- 
ness, his  experience  with  the  world,  the  flesh  and  -the  devil, 
her  youth  and  inexperience,  his  calculating  deliberation 
and  selfish  motives,  her  ardent  love  and  a  devotion  that 
still  lived  when  its  object  lay  dead  in  the  hallway  of  the 
Palmer  house,  and  was  made  manifest  when  she  bent  over 
him  and  with  the  lips  of  affection  kissed  again  and  again 
those  of  death.  When  Stiles  first  saw  her  she  was  a  fresh 
victim  of  man's  lust,  and  her  only  offense,  if  offense  it  can 
be  called,  was  in  yielding  to  the  strongest  of  all  human 
passions  under  a  promise  of  marriage  made  by  one  of  our 
sex.  Stiles  was  cultured,  had  traveled  much,  seen  much  of 
the  world  and  (adopting  the  language  of  his  aunt,  Mrs. 
Robinson)  was  a  gambler,  a  follower  of  race  horses  and  a 
man  who  never  learned  the  full  import  of  the  seventh  com- 
mandment. She  was  an  Italian  girl,  born  in  a  land  of 
dreams,  of  poetry  and  romance,  a  land  whose  sky  is  never 
cloud-cast,  and  is  so  near  the  sun  that  the  passions  are 
intensified;  they  endure  longer  and  grow  stronger  with 
each  passing  hour  and  too  often  culminate  in  death. 
Rienza  has  truly  said,  that  the  Italian  women  are  creatures 
of  passion  and  act  from  impulse  rather  than  from  reason, 
and  that  God  made  them  such.  This  defendant  was  and 
is  a  typical  Italian  girl.  She  loved  music  aud  desired  to 
sing  in  public;  had  a  rich  though  crude  voice,  and  could 
speak  but  little  else  than  Italian.  At  this  time  she  was 
about  seventeen;  he  ten  years,  at  least,  her  senior;  he 
talked  to  her  in  her  natal  tongue  and  promised  her  the  full 
gratification  of  the  controlling  desire  of  her  life.  She  with 


188  STURLA-STELES  TRAGEDY. 

the  adverse  circumstances  surrounding  her,  as  shown  by 
the  evidence  in  this  case,  yielded  to  his  wishes,  and  from 
that  time  on  until  his  death,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  she 
followed  him  with  a  devotion  that  never  wearied.  You,  as 
jurors,  ought  to  view  this  woman  in  all  her  weakness  and 
fraility;  in  the  light  furnished  by  the  knowledge  of  all  the 
facts  surrounding  her.  Her  being  an  Italian  woman,  with 
her  weaknesses,  passions  and  impulses  incident  to  her 
nativity,  she  is  not  to  blame.  You  must  look  beyond  the 
clouds  where  the  God  of  us  all  resides  if  you  wish  to  locate 
the  responsibility  for  her  being  Italian  with  all  tha~  that 
implies.  With  Stiles  it  is  different,  brought  up  in  an 
atmosphere  of  wealth,  given  a  good  education  and  posses- 
sing a  degree  of  intelligence  that  bordered  on  genius;  cool 
and  calculating  in  his  habits  he  became  a  gambler  from 
choice,  libertine  from  inclination,  and  voluntarily  left  the 
rigid  circle  of  commerce,  where  he  was  first  placed  by  those 
who  wished  him  well,  for  the  habitation  of  the  prostitute, 
the  pimp  and  the  drunkard,  and  entered  into  a  career  that 
either  ends  in  the  penitentiary  or  the  morgue. 

"  Charles  Stiles,  when  in  the  summer  of  1877,  gained  con- 
trol of  this  defendant,  he  did  not  love  her;  he,  at  this  time, 
was  incapable  of  this  passion;  he  saw  from  looking  at  her 
person,  he  heard  from  listening  to  her  voice,  that  she 
could  be  used  by  him  to  his  monetary  advantage,  and  he 
regarded  her  as  a  gambler  would  a  dice  box — an  agent  to 
replenish  his  depleted  pocket.  The  evidence  conclusively 
shows  that  after  he  had  spent  a  week  in  Baltimore,  on  the 
occasion  referred  to,  in  telling  her  how  much  he  loved  her, 
he  borrowed  $200  from  her,  payable,  as  was  every  dollar  of 
the  thousands  thus  borrowed,  when  eternity  is  forgotten. 
From  the  evidence  in  the  case  we  are  clearly  informed  that, 
at  the  time  of  the  unition  of  their  fortunes,  she  was  inspired 
with  love  and  he  prompted  by  avarice.  By  keeping  this 


8TURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  180 

fact  before  us  \ve  can,  with  Confidence,  review  the  evidence 
for  confirmation.  But  before  so  doing  I  desire  to  call  your 
attention  to  the  defenses  in  this  case;  they  are,  first,  that 
at  the  time  of  the  killing  on  the  10th  day  of  July,  1882,  the 
defendant  was  irresponsible  or  insane;  and,  next,  that  the 
art  was  done  in  necessary  self-defense.  These  defenses  are 
sometimes  inconsistent  with  each  other,  though  in  a  num- 
ber of  cases  cited  in  the  books  they  have  been  found  to  be' 
perfectly  consistent.  An  insane  man  will  defend  himself 
upon  the  same  provocation  as  a  sane  person.  His  insanity 
impairs  or  destroys  his  intellect,  but  does  not  dim  his  vis- 
ion so  that  he  cannot  see  his  assailant',  or  render  him  insen- 
sible to  p.iin  when  assailed.  Our  chief  reliance,  I  frankly 
state,  in  this  case,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  is  in  the  defense 
of  the  irresponsibility  of  the  prisoner  at  the  time  stated. 
The  fact  that  the  prisoner  was  assailed  by  the  deceased  in 
his  room  in  the  Palmer  house,  and  that  he  choked  her 
makes  it  part  of  my  duty  to  interpose  that  defense.  And 
in  this  connection  I  state  that  the  court  will,  in  effect,  in- 
struct you  that  if,  after  considering  all  the  evidence  in  the 
case,  you  have  a  reasonable  doubt  as  to  whether  the  fatal 
shot  was  fired  in  necessary  self-defense,  then  you  should 
acquit  the  prisoner,  and  in  considering  this  question  you 
should  take  into  consideration  the  strength  of  the  de'ceased 
and  the  weakness  of  the  prisoner.  The  Court  will  further, 
in  effect,  instruct  you  that  even  though  you  believe  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  reasonable  doubts  from  the  evidence  in  the 
case  that  the  fatal  shot  was  not  fired  in  necessary  self 
defense,  yet  you  have  a  reasonable  doubt  as  to  whether  or 
not  the  accused  was  irresponsible  or  insane  at  the  time  of 
the  firing  of  the  fatal  shot,  you  should  acquit  her. 

"  In  addition  to  these  well  known  principles  of  law,  thus 
briefly  alluded  to,  I  desire  to  call  your  attention  to  yet  one 
more  legal  proposition;  it  is  this:  In  this  State  you  are 


190  STUBLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

the  sole  judges  of  the  law  aud  the  evidence.  The  sover- 
eign power  of  the  State,  that  power  that  makes  States' 
Attorneys  and  judges  and  fixes  the  terms  of  office,  I  refer 
to  the  legislative  power,  has  lifted  you,  as  jurors,  to  such 
an  eminence  that  you  are  beyond  the  control  even  of  a 
judge — you  can,  if  you  wish,  disregard  the  instructions  of 
the  Court  and  treat  them  as  you  would  the  idle  whistling 
of  the  wind.  I  shall  now  ask  you  to  first  consider  the  evi- 
dence with  regard  to  the  last  named  defense;  I  desire  you 
to  follow  me  as  I  refer  to  the  evidence — and  see  to  it  that 
I  adhere  to  established  facts,  and  that  I  do  not  move  in 
the  domain  of  imagination  for  my  statements. 

"  It  is  charged  by  the  prosecution  that  she  went  to  his 
room  in  the  Palmer  House  with  intent  to  kill  him  with  a 
revolver  obtained  by  her  the  night  before  for  that  purpose. 
The  defense  contends  that  on  her  being  abandoned  by  him 
at  Sunnyside,  while  she  was  afflicted  with  a  sickness  that 
prostrated  the  body  and  always  affects  and  frequently  de- 
stroys the  reason,  she  walked  to  the  city  in  a  violent  rain 
storm,  and  arrived  sick  at  heart  and  bewildered  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  suit  of  rooms  occupied  by  herself  and  Stiles 
With  the  little  reason  left  her  in  her  desolation  and  loneli- 
ness she  considers  as  to  whom  she  will  go.  She  dared  not 
go  to  the  house  of  "Watson,  for  she  from  time  to  time  sought 
shelter  there  on  promises  to  return  to  Stiles  no  more,  till 
finally  on  the  occasion  of  the  last  time  she  left  that  house, 
she  was  emphatically  told  to  never  return.  She  was  equally 
unwilling  to  go  to  Stiles'  room,  for  in  it  she  expected  to 
meet  the  man  who  had  lately  left  her  baffled  and  disap- 
pointed in  not  obtaining  money  from  her.  From  all  the 
rest  of  the  world  she  was  effectually  shut  out — indeed,  she 
seemed  to  live  in  the  belief  that  there  were  but  two  places 
in  the  wide  world  to  which  she  at  any  time  could  go — the 
rooms  of  her  lover  and  the  Watson  he  use,  where  he  him- 


8TURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  191 

self  had  taken  her.  To  go  to  the  latter  place  was  to  meet 
the  same  treatment  that  had  nearly  driven  life  from  her 
body  and  reason  from  its  citidel.  She  remembered  that 
Stiles  was  a  coward  and  feared  the  glitter  of  a  pistol  barrel, 
and  she  then  mechanically,  under  the  guidance  of  a  boy  or 
man  she  chanced  to  meet,  and  who  knew  of  her  suffering 
at  the  hands  of  Stiles,  went  into  a  pawnshop,  obtained  the 
pistol,  went  to  her  rooms  at  Mrs.  Harvey's,  and  standing 
in  the  hallway  told  Mrs.  Harvey  that  she  was  afraid  that 
Charlie  might  beat  her;  that  she  was  sick,  wet  to  the  skin, 
and  spirit  broken,  and  could  not  stand  further  punishment; 
that  she  had  a  pistol  and  would  protect  herself;  that  Mrs. 
Harvey  went  into  the  room  where  Stiles  and  his  supposed 
wife  had  slept  with  regularity  ever  since  they  boarded  at 
that  house,  and  where  he  was  then  believed  by  both  of  the 
women  to  be,  and  found  that  he  was  not  there;  thereupon 
the  defendant  was  undressed,  and  the  fact  became  apparent 
that  she  was  suffering  from  her  monthly  sickness,  weak  and 
trembling  in  body  and  nerves,  and  that  her  mind  was  wan- 
dering, and  in  her  delirium  she  told  her  companion  of  the 
hour  and  mistress  of  the  house  the  sad  story  of  her  late 
trouble  and  divulged  the  fact  that  she  was  not  married  to 
Stiles.  Mrs.  Harvey  then  informed  her  that  she  could  not 
occupy  rooms  in  her  house. 

"  Passing  the  details  of  that  night's  scenes  and  occur- 
rences, (for  on  the  other  branch  of  the  case  I  will  refer  to 
them  more  fully,)  morning  dawned  upon  her,  and  with  it  the 
recollection  that  she  must  quit  the  suit  of  rooms  then 
occupied  by  her.  To  whom  would  she  naturally  go  under 
the  circumstances  ?  Indeed,  to  whom  else  could  she  go  but 
to  the  man  who  five  years  before  had  brought  her,  his  child- 
mistress,  to  this  city?  She  sought  him,  as  she  had  done 
previously  on  the  various  occasions  when  he  had  inflicted 
great  violence  upon  her  frail  body,  to  forgive  and  never  to 


192  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDt. 

reproach  liiru — sought  him  in  the  spirit  of  more  than 
human  love  and  devotion,  not  animated  or  moved  by  ven- 
geance. Whether  she  went  to  him  on  this  occasion  for  the 
purpose  of  saying  to  him,  'Charlie,  have  we  done  forever? 
I  am  going  to  Watson's  and  I  will  tell  her  that  if  you  again 
try  to  visit  me  there  you  will  be  arrested.  I  have  been 
driven  from  Mrs.  Harvey's,  who  is  now  aware  of  the  fact 
that  we  are  not  married.  I  only  come  to  you  now  that  I 
may  be  in  a  position  to  inform  her  of  my  warning  to  you 
and  that  she  may  credit  my  resolution  to  see  you  no  more,' 
or  whether  she  went  to  ask  him  (as  she  had  virtually  been 
driven  out  of  Mrs.  Harvey's  house)  what  was  to  be  done 
and  where  she  should  go,  may  be  involved  in  doubt.  But 
it  is  clear  from  her  delicate  situation  and  surroundings  it 
was  necessary  that  she  should  see  him  that  evening.  That 
being  the  case,  the  question  naturally  arose  in  her  mind 
how  she  would  go.  The  bitter  experiences  of  the  past  had 
taught  her  that  he  was  a  coward,  and  that  even  a  weak 
woman,  with  pistol  in  hand,  could  frighten  and  subdue 
him.  Being  weak  from  the  continued  physical  and  mental 
strain  of  the  last  twenty  hours;  unable,  as  she  told  Mrs. 
Harvey,  to  endure  greater  punishment,  she  took  the  pistol 
with  her  to  his  room  at  the  Palmer  House  to  protect  her- 
self from  further  suffering  at  his  hands.  When  she  entered 
these  rooms  there  were  no  marks  of  violence  whatever  upon 
her  throat  or  neck.  (Let  this  fact  be  remembered  by  you, 
gentlemen  of  the  jury.)  Dr.  Bluthardt,  a  witness  called  by 
the  prosecution,  testified,  and  he  is  not  contradicted,  that, 
at  and  from  the  instant  Stiles  received  the  fatal  shot  he 
was  incapable  of  choking  any  one — that  the  moment  the 
bullet  entered  his  person  the  whole  machinery  of  the  body 
gave  convulsively  away — every  muscle  relaxed  and  the 
power  of  motion  was  gone  forever.  Thus  it  appeal's  that 
those  marks  of  violence  upon  her  person  were  silent,  but 


8TOELA-  STILES  TRAGEDY.  193 

eloquent  and  indisputable  witnesses,  that  he  must  have 
choked  her  before  she  fired  the  fatal  shot.  The  sworn 
utterances  of  human  witnesses  may  be  false,  but  evidences 
like  the  marks  of  choking — impressions  of  fingers — 
scratches  made  by  finger  nails  tearing  flesh  from  the  neck 
of  a  resisting  woman  cannot  lie.  No  argument  is  needed 
to  convince  you  that  if  that  strong  man  had  his  vice-like 
grasp  upon  the  neck  of  this  girl  with  such  severity  as  to 
produce  the  injuries  shown  by  the  evidence,  that  she  must 
have  believed  that  she  was  either  in  danger  of  suffering 
great  bodily  injury  or  of  losing  her  life,  and  that  she  fired 
the  fatal  shot  while  under  the  influence  of  such  belief. 
He  was  so  near  her  when  the  shot  was  fired  that  his  night 
shirt  was  burned  by  the  powder.  And  all  the  circum- 
stances in  the  case  conspire  to  convince  a  reasoning  man 
that  he  was  choking  her  at  the  time  he  was  shot.  On 
nearly  every  occasion  in  the  past,  when  he  beat,  kicked  or 
abused  her,  he  renewed  his  brutalities  on  their  next  meet- 
ing. This  seemed  a  singular  fatality — so  marked  was  it, 
and,  why  should  this  meeting  be  an  exception  to  this  cus- 
tom on  his  part? 

'  Officer  Bohan  also  swore  t"hat  the  marks  on  her  neck 
were  fresh,  and  that  there  was  blood  upon  it;  that  the  fresh, 
bleeding  scratches,  looked  as  though  they  were  made  by 
finger-nails  imbedded  in  the  flesh.  This  is  the  language  of 
a  police  officer  called  by  the  State — an  officer  who  does  not 
think  it  is  part  of  his  duty  to  lie,  in  order  to  aid  in  the  pro- 
secution of  his  prisoner.  That  officer  is  the  owner  of  a  full, 
open  and  honest  face,  eyes  that  look  the  truth,  and  a  tongue 
that  never  fails  to  tell  it.  He  was  among  the  first  to  see 
the  prisoner  after  the  death  of  Stiles.  His  opportunities  to 
note  her  condition  were  the  best.  He  is  corroborated  by 
the  city  editor  of  the  Chicago  Times — Joseph  Dunlap,  and 
McPhelin,  one  of  his  reporters, — by  Messrs.  Haitland  and 
13 


194  STURLA-KTILES  TRAGEDY. 

Corwin,  of  the  Tribune,  and  a  number  of  other  witnesses. 
These  witnesses  also  testify  as  to  the  severity  of  the  injuries 
received. 

"  If  Stiles  beat  and  choked  the  girl  on  this  occasion,  he 
simply  carried  into  effect  his  threat  made  to  Frederick  Davis 
less  than  twelve  hours  before.  ( Here  counsel  read  the  evi- 
dence of  the  witness  to  the  jury.) 

"  From  the  fact  that  the  reason  of  this  defendant  took  wing 
when  she,  in  narrating  the  story  of  her  relations  with  Stiles, 
approached  the  final  climax  in  the  sad  tragedy,  you  have 
not  heard  from  her  lips  her  version  of  the  occurrences  in 
the  rooms  660  and  661  preceding  the  death  of  Stiles. 
And  the  States  Attorney  did  not  see  fit  in  his  cross-exami- 
nation of  her,  to  go  into  that  question. 

"  Perhaps  the  distinguished  medical  gentlemen  who  are 
employed  by  the  State  or  by  the  Owl  Club  (as  the  case  may 
be)  told  him  that  from  the  physical  and  mental  condition 
of  this  defendant  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  look 
upon  that  picture  of  agony  without  having  another  hysteria 
— epileptic  fit.  But  the  injuries  on  her  neck  speak  in  her 
behalf  as  did  the  wounds  on  Caesar's  bleeding  body,  trans- 
lated through  the  lips  of  Antony. 

"  For  reasons  which  I  will  hereafter  show  by  the  evidence} 
you  should  disregard  the  testimony  of  Monroe  Potter — it 
should  not  have  the  weight  of  a  feather  in  your  estimation. 
But  either  with  or  without  your  considering  it,  with  all  the 
other  evidences,  you  can  not  safely  say  that  you  are  satisfied 
beyond  a  reasonable  doubt  as  to  the  guilt  of  the  woman, — 
assuming  that  she  was  sane  on  the  10th  day  of  July,  1882, — 
and  gladly  acquit  her  on  the  ground  of  self  defense. 

"  On  the  law  of  self  defense  I  read  to  you  a  few  of  the  best 
recognized  authorities.  (Counsel  here  read  to  the  jury 
cases  of  People  vs.  Campbell,  16  Illinois,  page  16;  47  Illi- 
fiois,  page  379;  24  Illinois,  page  242;  77  Illinois,  page  25. 


8TUKLA -STILES   TRAGEDY.  195 

And  going  out  of  our  own  State,  found  on  the  same  subject 
the  well-considered  case  of  State  vs.  Monroe,  cited  in  H.  & 
T.  on  self  defense,)  which  is  a  leading  case,  and  replete  with 
legal  lore,  wisdom  and  justice.  The  decision  and  the  rea- 
sonings upon  which  it  is  grounded  is  recognized  by  nearly 
every  State  in  the  republic. 

"  On  the  threshold  in  the  main  branch  of  this  case  we  are 
confronted  by  the  inquiry:  *  Was  this  person  irresponsible, 
or,  as  it  is  usually  called,  insane  at  the  time  of  the  firing  of 
the  fatal  shot  ?'  Adopting  the  language  of  Ernest  Schmidt 
— '  She  would  be  a  psychological  wonder  if  she  were  not  in- 
sane, having  been  subjected  to  unparalelled  severity  to  mind 
and  body,  likely  to  overthrow  the  reason  of  the  strongest.' 

"  The  Doctor  says  disappointment  in  love  is  one  of  the 
predisposing  causes  of  insanity.  Blanford,  on  insanity, 
page  230,  fully  agrees  with  him.  So  does  Dr.  Nichols,  su- 
perintendent of  asylum  for  insane  at  Washington — a  man  of 
national  renown  who  testified  in  the  Harris  case.  (Counsel 
here  read  his  evidence  given  on  that  trial. ) 

"  Dr.  Nichol's  opinion  is  supported  by  thirteen  other 
medical  gentlemen  who  testified  in  that  case,  and  was  dis- 
puted by  none.  The  evidence  clearly  shows  that  in  the 
summer  of  1877  the  deceased  met  the  prisoner,  declared  his 
love  to  her  and  solemnly  swore  that  it  would  endure  while 
life  lasted; — he  pictured  to  her  a  glowing  future  and  the 
fruition  of  every  hope,  and  she  believed  him. 

"  Hope  is  the  poetry  of  youth, 
As  memory  Is  that  of  age." 

"  Upon  his  earnest  solicitation  she  came  on  to  Chicago, 
and  on  the  first  night  of  her  arrival  retired  with  him  to  bed. 
In  the  night  she  is  awakened  by  hearing  someone  in  the 
room.  She  was  alarmed,  but  never  dreaming  that  the  form 
that  was  dimly  seen  by  her  in  the  gloom  of  night  was  that 
of  her  lover,  she  quickly  reached  over  to  the  place  in  the 


196  STUKLA-STILES  TBAGHBT 

bed  lately  occupied  by  him.  and  found  him  gone. 
Hearing  the  lid  of  her  trunk  softly  close  a  feeling  took  pos- 
session of  her  of  such  intense  agony  that  terror  when  com- 
pared with  it  would  be  a  pleasure.  She  felt  and  believed 
that  her  lover  was  about  to  rob  and  then  abandon  her,  in  a 
city  where  she  knew  no  one  but  him.  She  jumped  out  of 
bed  and  ran  toward  him.  He  fled,  she  pursued,  and  at  the 
head  of  the  stairs  overtook  him,  when  he  savagely  turned 
and  knocked  her  senseless.  When  she  recovered  she  wiped 
the  blood  and  tears  from  her  face  and  raved  about  her  lover. 
She  then  was  less  than  17  years  of  age.  Do  you  think  she 
was  the  victim  of  disappointed  love  ?  In  the  criminal  record 
of  man's  depravity  with,  and  brutality  to  woman,  can  you 
find  a  parallel  to  this  ? 

"  Next,  all  the  medical  gentlemen  agree  that  long-con- 
tinued brutal  treatment  of  a  person  is  a  predisposing  cause 
of  insanity,  and  particularly  is  this  true  of  women  of  a  sen- 
sitive nature  and  of  tender  years.  And  when  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  subject  is  vivid  the  greater  is  the  likelihood  of 
her  becoming  insane. 

"  Upon  the  subject  of  Stiles'  hellish  brutality  upon  this  de- 
fendant the  record  is,  metaphorically  speaking,  red  with  her 
blood  and  wet  with  her  tears. 

"  It  is  no  part  of  my  duty  to  entertain,  but  it  is  plainly 
my  duty  to  convince  you.  That  can  not  be  better  done 
than  by  reading  to  you  the  evidence  of  Letitia  Miller,  Lieut. 
Hayes,  Lieut.  Kipley,  Officer  George  Demars,  Cornelius 
Murphy,  George  Elton,  William  A.  Pinkerton,  Frankie 
"Weed,  Edward  Robey,  Carrie  Watson  and  Bridget  Harvey, 
who  testified  on  this  branch  of  the  case.  (He  also  quoted 
from  the  evidence  of  Joseph  Dunlap,  John  Corwin,  Mr. 
Fisher,  Mr.  Maitland,  E.  J.  McPhelin  and  Augusta  Papen- 
dike,  as  to  the  utterances,  conduct,  acts  and  appearance  of 
the  prisoner  inconsistant  with  her  sanity.) 


STURLA- STILES   TRAGEDY.  197 

"  To  this  mass  of  testimony  you  will  add  that  of  the 
prisoner.  For  weeks  she  has  sat  within  the  range  of  your 
vision.  You  have  noted  her  every  act  and  look.  You 
heard  her  tell  under  the  solemnity  of  her  oath  all  about 
her  relations  with  Stiles.  That  narrative  was  absolutely 
true  in  every  particular.  "When  she  came  to  a  page,  in  the 
chapter  of  her  life  with  Stiles,  that  was  against  her,  she 
told  it  truthfully  in  her  own  impressive  way.  The  tortures 
of  the  inquisition  becomes  mere  pastime  compared  with 
the  sufferings  she  endured.  For  five  years  her  frail  form 
had  been  writhing  under  the  blows,  kicks  and  worse  than 
both  of  these  to  her,  the  curses  of  her  lover.  Lover,  did  I 
say  ?  What  a  travesty  on  the  word  his  conduct  was.  During 
the  details  of  his  treatment  of  her,  witnesses  from  the  out- 
side busy  world  came  to  her  aid,  as  did  that  distinguished 
lawyer,  Edward  Kcbey,  who  when  he  read,  as  he  testified, 
in  the  papers  the  story  of  what  occurred  in  the  grave  yard, 
thought  he  owed  a  duty  to  the  cause  of  public  justice,  and 
confirmed  her  evidence  as  to  how  she  traveled  in  tho  night 
time  and  in  the  storm  with  her  dress  covered  with  mud 
and  burs,  her  dark  hair  flowing  down  her  back  and  her 
eyes  peering  in  the  darkness  with  the  frenzy  of  shattered 
hopes,  and  with  a  future  darker  than  the  night  whose 
shades  fell  thickly  around  her.  Like  Leah,  the  forsaken, 
she  wandered  through  the  grave-yard  and  growing  weary 
took  shelter  under  a  tomb-stone.  There  she  remained  till 
the  storm  subsided,  and  the  winds  of  Heaven  drew  aside 
the  cloud  cast  curtain  that  covered  the  sky  and  the  moon 
appeared,  lighting  up  the  scene  and  revealing  to  her  the 
fact  that  she  was  an  intruder  in  the  home  of  the  dead. 
Even  as  Leah  fled  in  terror  when  she  found  that  she  had 
taken  shelter  under  the  cross  of  the  Christian,  so  did  this 
bewildered  girl  flee  toward  the  lake  till  its  waters  bade  her 
go  no  further,  then  she  walked  along^  the  water's  edge  until 


198  STUELA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

she  came  to  the  house  of  that  good  man,  Mr.  Robey,  who 
directed  two  of  the  servants  who  worked  in  his  house  to 
accompany  her  to  the  street  cars.  When  she  arrived  at 
No.  10  Clark  street,  where  Mrs.  Ashton  takes  up  the  story 
and  describes  her  condition  when  she  arrived.  She  cer- 
tainly was  not  manufacturing  evidence  then. 

"  Years  before  the  alleged  murder,  Mrs.  Ashton  tells  you 
she  raved  about  grave-yards  and  the  dead;  that  the  pupils 
of  her  eyes  were  dilated;  that  she  was  incoherent  and  mad; 
not  the  Ophelian  madness  that  decks  itself  with  flowers  and 
makes  the  air  resound  with  the  melody  of  song  and  music, 
but  with  that  frenzy  which  bespeaks  mental  anguish  and 
bodily  pain — she  raved — one  is  as  different  from  the  other 
as  a  pleasant  dream  is  from  a  hideous  nightmare. 

"  Wm.  Pinkerton  is  another  witness  who  in  like  manner  is 
induced  to  give  evidence  in  behalf  of  the  prisoner.  He 
was  sent  by  Stiles  to  visit  this  defendant  at  No.  10  Clark 
street.  "While  there  she  acts  so  strangely  that  it  inclines 
him  to  believe  that  she  was  deranged.  She  played  on  the 
piano,  sang  and  cried  almost  in  the  same  breath.  She 
gladly  endorsed  Mr.  Pinkerton's  suggestion  to  separate 
from  Stiles  and  begged  him  to  make  that  parting 
effectual,  but  she  thought  after  all  it  would  be  of  no  use — 
that  he  would  come  back  to  her  and  that  like  a  child  of 
fate  she  must  receive  him.  Pinkerton  did  not  think  so. 
Soon  after  this  Pinkerton  visited  the  house  to  look  for  a 
missing  Michigan  woman,  and  saw  Madeline  who  showed 
him  the  letter  he  had  written  to  Stiles.  This  astonished 
him,  but  he  was  annoyed  beyond  comparison  when  Stiles 
was  shown  to  him  to  be  in  a  room  adjacent.  A  discussion 
took  place,  when  without  cause  or  reason,  Stiles  took  up  a 
pitcher  and  aimed'a  deadly  blow  at  this  girl's  head,  and  but 
for  Pinkerton,  he,  would  have  been  on  trial  for  murder 
instead  of  this  defendant.  As  I  read  you  the  evidence  of  Mr. 


8TUKLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  199 

Piukerton,  I  ani  reminded  of  the  fact  that  I  may  be  tautolog- 
ical. But  as  this  witness  stands  so  high  in  public  estimation, 
is  the  head  of  an  agency  which  extends  through  every  Stale 
in  the  Union,  and  whose  mission  is  to  extirpate  crime,  and 
in  which  mission  it  has  so  well  succeeded  that  the  agency 
has  partaken  of  a  National  character,  and  its  aid  gladly 
accepted  by  the  nation  in  time  of  peace  and  invoked  in 
times  of  war. 

"  The  testimony  of  the  little  farmer  boy,  Frankie  "Weed, 
deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice.  While  the  defen- 
dant was  living  at  No.  10  Clark  street,  this  little,  pale-faced 
boot  black  and  news-boy  visited  the  house  to  sell  papers 
and  black  boots.  With  that  attachment  to  children  that 
has  marked  her  life,  she  became  interested  in  him,  inquired 
as  to  his  parentage  and  learned  that  his  father  was  dead, 
that  his  mother  had  married  again,  and  that  he  had  a  step- 
father to  deal  with,  then  he  became  a  homeless  wanderer, 
a  stray  plank  on  life's  great  and  troubled  sea.  This  girl 
took  him  in  charge,  clothed  and  sent  him  to  school.  Thus 
he  obtained  a  young  man's  best  asset,  the  rudiments  of  a 
good  education.  After  a  while  her  misfortunes  drove  her 
from  this  house  to  one  which  she  would  not  permit  this  boy 
to  cuter.  She  then  committed  him  to  the  care  of  a  farmer, 
who  used  to  furnish  her  with  vegetables,  where  he  lived  from 
that  time  until  the  present,  free  from  the  influences  that 
surrounded  the  defendant,  in  an  atmosphere  tainted  by  no 
crime  or  immoralities.  You  heard  the  bright  and  exceed- 
ingly intelligent  boy  testify,  in  his  direct  examination  and 
also  listened  to  his  exhaustive  cross-  examination.  No  where, 
was  he  shaken  in  his  evidence.  It  was  confirmation  strong 
as  holy  writ  of  the  truth  of  the  prisoner's  testimony.  "\Vhen 
she  took  this  hungry  waif  in,  clothed,  fed  and  educated  him 
as  far  as  she  could,  she  little  dreamed  that  he  would  be  her 
most  valuable  witness,  in  the  hour  of  tribulation,  when 


200  STUBLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

her  life  was  trembling  in  the  balance.  It  is  an  instance 
where  indeed  '  bread  was  cast  upon  the  waters  and  returned 
after  many  days.'  He  told  you,  how  on  many  occasions  he 
carried  money  from  Madeline  to  Charles  Stiles,  and  that  he 
was  instructed  to  give  it  to  no  one  but  him ;  that  she  was 
more  guarded  in  taking  care  of  the  reputation  of  her  lover 
than  he  was  himself.  She  was  adverse  to  letting  the 
fact  be  known  that  she  was  furnishing  him  with  money. 
The  witness  says  he  often  saw  her  inclose  money  in  an 
envelope  which  he  conveyed  to  him;  that  on  one  occasion 
when  he  asked  her  for  money  he  struck  her  in  the  face; 
that  on  another  occasion  when  she  advanced  to  meet  him 
with  a  kiss  he  struck  her  in  the  face  with  his  closed  fist; 
that  a  woman  who  was  near  called  him  to  account,  when 
Madeline  made  the  characteristic  reply,  '  Do  not  reproach 
or  scold  him,  as  I  alone  suffer,  I  alone  have  the  right  to 
complain.'  And  again  with  tears  streaming  down  her 
swollen  cheeks  she  advanced  and  kissed  him.  This  bru- 
tality on  his  part,  and  insane  forbearance  on  hers,  was  a 
matter  of  frequent  occurrence. 

"  When  the  question  was  asked  the  lad — '  "What,  if  any 
thing,  did  Madeline  do  on  these  occasions  ? '  he  answered, 
'  She  cried,  and  tried  to  make  up  with  him.  She  never 
struck  him  and  would  not  let  anybody  scold  him  when  he 
hit  her.'  What  eloquent  vehemence  in  that  reply — how 
simple  yet  how  pathetic ! 

"  The  boy,  in  answer  to  the  question  as  to  whether  he 
ever  saw  anything  unusual  in  her  conduct,  stated  that  he 
had  often  seen  her  cry  and  laugh  at  the  same  time,  that  she 
would  often  act  as  if  she  was  in  pain  and  bend  over,  then 
she  would  get  up  and  walk  fast  and  her  eyes  would  look 
wild  like. 

"  The  State  endeavored  to  make  a  point  by  showing  that 
this  boy,  during  the  trial  had  been  in  charge  of  a  person, 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  201 

identified  with  the  defense.  He  informed  you  that  he  was 
simply  protected  from  the  advances  of  members  of  the  Owl 
Club.  In  this  connection  I  desire  to  say  that  it  is  in  evi- 
dence that  the  last  seen  of  Peter  Buffing,  the  boy  who 
accompanied  defendant  on  the  night  of  July  9th  from  Sun- 
nyside,  was  when  he  was  in  company  of  one  of  the  members 
of  that  odious  club.  The  man  who  did  that  justice-insult- 
ing act  is  at  heart  a  murderer. 

"  We  had  lost  one  witness  and  feared  we  might  lose  this 
one,  hence  the  precaution.  You  note,  gentlemen,  that  the 
evidence  of  the  defendant  is  corroborated  by  a  large  num- 
ber of  respectable  persons,  and  is  contradicted  by  none 
except  the  members  of  the  Stiles  family  and  Munroe  Potter. 
This  leads  me  to  inquire  as  to  who  and  what  Potter  is  or 
was — he  is  virtually  a  self  acknowledged  drunkard,  a  migra- 
tory distillery,  a  bar-keeper  in  various  disreputable  places, 
but  none  so  bad  as  the  O'Neil  saloon  on  the  lake  front, 
where  only  thieves  and  cyprians  consort,  and  to  which  an 
honest  man  is  a  stranger,  and  in  which  a  virtuous  woman 
would  be  lost.  He  tells  an  improbable  story  and  is  con- 
tradicted by  this  woman,  who  narrates  a  story  in  which  is 
shown  hundreds  of  incidents  known  to  many  witnesses  and 
is  contradicted  by  none.  He  is  detected  in  several  false- 
hoods— imong  them  is  that  of  the  cause  of  his  discharge 
from  Sunnyside — he  says  it  was  not  for  drunkenness — 
Downing  says  it  was.  You  saw  him  fixed  up  for  a  great 
occasion,  clean  shaven  and  neat  in  attire.  Accompany  me 
to  Sunnyside  on  the  9th  of  July — look  at  the  blear-eyed, 
red-faced,  reeling  drunkard,  with  tobacco  juice  on  his 
whiskers,  and  from  whose  lips  on  that  sacred  Sabbath  day 
no  expression  flowed  that  honesty  or  virtue  would  care 
to  listen  to.  This  is  a  word  picture  of  Potter  dis- 
charging his  duty  on  Sunday,  a  bar- tender  at  a  road- 
house,  patronized  mainly  by  the  Owl  Club,  while  you 


202  8TURLA- STILES   TRAGEDY. 

are  at  church  or  with  your  family.  Potter  testified  that 
the  defendant  said  she  wanted  to  get  to  the  Palmer 
house  before  the  elevator  stopped  so  that  she  could 
shoot  Stiles,  and  that  she  had  a  determined  look  on 
her  face.  At  this  time  Stiles  was  not  stopping  at  the 
Palmer  house — he  had  without  exception  slept  at  Harvey's 
house  every  night  for  several  weeks.  She  had  no  reason 
to  believe  that  he  would  sleep  at  the  Palmer  house  that 
night.  .  From  the  testimony  of  Mrs.  Harvey  and  the 
defendant  we  are  informed  that  she  expected  to  meet  him 
at  Harvey's  house.  Hence,  she  asks  Mrs.  Harvey  to  tell 
Charlie:  '  I  have  a  pistol  and  can  not  stand  any  more  pun- 
ishment.' Again  the  elevator  runs  till  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Potter  admits  he  lied  to  the  reporter  with  whom 
he  talked  on  Sunday  and  Monday,  July  10th  and  llth. 
Before  the  light  of  analysis  and  investigation  the  rotten 
fabric  of  this  wretch's  evidence  is  plainly  revealed  to  view. 
The  poet  must  have  had  Potter  in  his  mind  when  he  wrote — 

'  He  who  knows  one  thing  and  would  another  tell, 
My  soul  abhors  as  it  would  the  gates  of  hell.' 

"  I  next  come  to  the  consideration  of  the  letters  written 
by  Charles  Stiles  to  defendant,  and  in  this  connection  let 
me  answer  a  statement  made  by  Mr.  Mills,  in  which  he 
said  that  Charles  Stiles  being  dead  could  not  give  his  ver- 
sion of  the  various  charges  made  against  him,  and  that 
from  the  grave  he  can  not  inform  you  as  to  how  much 
money  he  may  have  given  her,  etc.  I  join  issue  with  the 
State's  Attorney  on  this  subject.  He,  though  dead,  speaks 
so  clearly  that  he  can  not  be  misunderstood.  Junius,  in 
one  of  his  letters  to  the  Duke  of  Graf  ton,  said,  in  effect, 
that  from  a  letter  one  may  correctly  judge  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  writer  and  the  recipient  thereof.  In  the  let- 
ters I  now  read  to  you  he  admits  or  iu  other  words  con- 
cedes his  brutality.  (Reads.)  'My  dear  Ef. : — The  same 


STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  203 

old  story — I  got  $900  this  morning  and  played  it  in  against 
faro-bank.  You  demoralize  me  so  completely  that  I  must 
get  some  fresh  air  and  think  now  that  I  shall  go  out  home 
at  -1  p.  m.  You  have  been  very,  very  kind  to  me  and  I  love 
you,  but  I  am  resolved  from  to-day  to  do  differently,  and 
if  I  can  not  conquer  my  passion  for  gaming  I  shall  jump 
in  the  lake.  Having  lost  my  sleep,  I  feel  unable  to  attend 
to  my  business,  and  shall  not  if  I  go  home  be  able  to  keep 
my  appointment  for  to-nijht.  You  may  rely  upon  it  that 
I  will  be  faithful  to  so  good  a  girl  as  you  have  been  to  me. 
With  all  my  love,  Charlie/  Another — 'I  can  hardly  ex- 
press to  you  in  words  my  gratitude  to  you  for  your  kind 
attentions,  and  if  you  will  pardon  my  past  transgressions 
I  will,  by  my  good  conduct,  more  than  atone  for  them  in 
future.  Gold  must  be  tried  by  fire,  and  we  only  discover 
the  finer  traits  of  character  in  those  we  hold  dearest  by  the 
severest  tests  of  the  human  furnaces.  Vice,  drink,  tempta- 
tions of  wine,  women  and  hacks  are  some  of  the  last  men- 
tioned kinds  of  fire.  I  shall  try  to  avoid  them  all  hereafter 
and  not  place  myself  in  any  position  that  you  may  reproach- 
fully say  to  me — A  burnt  child  dreads  the  fire.  Yours 
contritely,  Charlie.'  In  all  these  letters  he  acknowledges 
her  kindness,  not  only  to  himself  but  to  other  members  of 
his  family.  Adopting  his  language  in  his  letter  to  her  of 
July  14,  1880 — '  Again  you  have  cut  another  notch  in  the 
stick  of  obligations  I  am  under  to  you.  *  *  *  *  It 
seems  so  easy  for  you  to  be  kind  and  loving.' 

"In  others  of  the  letters  he  admits  the  reception  of  money 
and  constantly  asks  for  more.  Am  I  not  correct,  gentle- 
men of  the  jury,  in  saying  that  Charles  Stiles  does  give  evi- 
dence in  this  case,  and  though  dead  speaks  as  loudly  as  a 
bugle  blast  and  as  clearly  as  the  English  language  will  per- 
mit? 

"  These  letters  are  admitted  in  evidence  against  the  ob- 


204  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

jection  of  the  States  Attorney,  who  saw  what  effect  they 
would  necessarily  produce,  for  in  them  Stiles  admits  that  he 
is  one  of  the  most  degraded  creatures  on  earth.  No  won- 
der that  no  member  of  his  family  would  admit  that  they 
knew  his  hand -writing,  though  no  one  of  them  could  or 
would  say  that  the  letters  were  not  written  by  him.  The 
mother  was  shown  several  of  the  letters  written  by  her  son 
with  whom  she  says  she  corresponded  once  or  twice  a  week 
whenever  he  was  from  home,  and  was  asked  to  state  whether 
they  were  written  by  him.  Before  she  answered  she  read 
them  through,  and  then  on  the  stand  this  Christian  woman, 
resting  under  the  solemnity  of  an  oath,  declared  that  she 
could  not  tell.  I  pressed  the  question  no  further.  Of  her, 
in  this  connection,  I  utter  no  words  of  denunciation.  Her 
love  for  her  son  is  only  equalled  by  the  bitter  intensity  of 
her  hatred  of  his  mistress  and  victim.  In  her  breast  truth 
and  vengeance  are  engaged  in  a  strife,  and  vengeance  wins 
in  the  conflict.  The  word  *  Dear,'  so  often  found  in  these 
letters,  as  applied  to  the  mistress,  were  written  by  the  same 
hand  and  had  the  same  marked  characteristics  as  when  the 
same  word  was  written  and  applied  to  the  mother;  and 
whether  it  was  '  Mother '  or  '  Effie',  that  followed  that  word, 
they  both  looked  alike. 

"  There  was  another  word  or  name  written  more  than  any 
other,  and  in  a  bold  and  peculiar  manner.  I  refer  to  the 
word  with  which  his  letters  are  concluded — 'CHARLIE.' 
This  no  member  of  his  family  could  say  whether  written  by 
him  or  not,  or  whether  it  was  his  signature  or  not.  These 
letters  contain  truths.  There  was  nothing  to  be  gained  by 
the  employing  of  falsehood.  Each  knew  the  facts  referred 
to  and  they  wrote  as  they  talked  to  each  other,  and  were 
both  free  from  extraneous  influences  and  had  no  purpose 
to  serve  by  falsehood.  The  letters  have  in  them  all  the  in- 
herent evidence  of  fact.  When,  he  asked  for  money  b§- 


STURLA-8TILES  THAGEDY.  205 

cause  he  was  sick  and  out  of  employment,  the  evidence 
shows  that  it  was  true  and  that  he  was  sick  and  out  of  work. 
When  he  said  he  wanted  money  to  aid  in  giving  Salvini  a 
supper,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Owl  Club,  at  that  time  a 
supper  was  given  to  the  great  actor  by  the  club  referred  to 
and  Stiles  was  the  leading  entertainer  on  the  occasion. 
Little  did  Salvini  think  as  he  drank  the  sparkling  wine  at 
the  banquet — little  did  the  gay  members  of  the  club  dream 
as  they  listened  to  the  wit  and  applauded  the  generosity  of 
Charles  Stiles  for  so  materially  contributing  means  to  make 
the  occasion  brilliant  in  every  respect,  and  wanting  in 
nothing, — that  behind  the  witty,  gay  and  generous  Stiles 
was  the  scarlet-robed  cyprian  from  whose  outstretched  hand 
he  took  the  money  that  purchased  the  wine  that  the  trage- 
dian drank,  as  well  as  the  costly  refreshments  with  which 
the  table  was  freighted.  To  Theressa  Sturla,  his  country- 
woman, Salvini,  was  indebted  for  the  costly  entertainment, 
yet  he  never  drank  to  the  health  of  his  fair  hostess  once. 

"  I  now  pass  to  the  consideration  of  the  evidence  of  Dr. 
Bates.  I  need  not  tell  you  that  he  is  a  gentleman  of  cul- 
ture and  refinement,  for  his  appearance  upon  the  stand  pro- 
claims that  fact.  He  informed  you  that  the  first  time  he 
was  called  upon  to  treat  the  defendant  she  was  afflicted 
with  difficult  menstruation  or  dysmenorrhea,  and  that  the 
disease  necessarily  affects  the  mind.  He  explained  the  close 
degree  of  intimacy  between  the  genital  organs  and  the 
brain.  That  on  the  occasion  of  the  defendant  being  kicked 
in  the  abdomen  he  was  called  to  treat  her,  that  he  found  a 
large  swelling  in  the  left  side;  she  was  menstruating — this 
added  to  the  mental  anguish  under  which  she  was  laboring 
more  than  the  physical  pain  she  endured — caused  her  to  be 
in  a  condition  of  irresponsibility.  '  She  was  out  of  her  head, 
talked  incoherently.'  He  also  treated  her  at  the  time 
Stiles  knocked  her  down  and  broke  out  one  of  her  teeth, 


206  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

and  at  other  times  for  injuries  sustained  at  his  hands,  and 
found  that  her  mind  was  more  affected  than  her  body. 
That  the  fact  of  his  ill-treating  her,  to  put  it  mildly,  seemed 
to  weigh  upon  her  mind.  The  Doctor  proceeds  to  say  that 
this  condition  of  affairs  continued  and  his  patient  became 
worse  and  worse.  The  disease  took  a  strong  hold  ^^pon 
her  frail  body  and  her  mind  grew  weaker.  He  treated  her  at 
the  Armory,  there  her  suffering  was  from  excessive  menstru- 
ation which  followed  a  night  of  painful  suppression  of  the 
same.  She  had  walked  a  long  distance  in  a  rain-storm} 
that  she  was  suffering  from  a  feal  or  supposed  injury,  and 
had  been  for  some  time  previous,  and  that  she  had  a  short 
time  before  shot  the  deceased.  The  Doctor  then  conclud- 
ed and  says  that  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  defendant  was  in- 
sane or  irresponsible  at  the  time  of  the  shooting  referred 
to,  and  that  it  was  impossible  that  she  could  have  been 
otherwise  under  the  circumstances.. 

"  You  will  please  add  the  evidence  of  the  witness  to  those 
already  given  who  corroborate  the  defendant  as  to  facts 
stated  by  her. 

"  By  whom  is  she  contradicted  is  a  pertinent  inquiry  ? 
"Who  undertakes  to  contradict  a  witness  whose  testimony 
on  all  the  material  points  is  corroborated  by  these  wit- 
nesses: Pinkerton,  Robey,  Bates,  Harvey,  little  Frankie, 
Ashton,  Davis,  Smith,  Blair,  Elton,  Bohan  the  officer, 
Papendicke,  the  matron,  Chapin,  the  bailiff  and  a  host  of 
others. 

"  Mrs.  Eobinson,  the  aunt;  Mrs.  Stiles,  the  mother;  E.  D. 
Stiles,  the  uncle ;  Baldwin  Ryerson,  the  messenger  boy,  and 
Munroe  Potter,  whom  I  have  already  referred  to,  are  all  that 
could  be  found.  To  the  first  I  will  now  call  your  attention. 
(Counsel  here  read  her  evidence.)  Was  there  ever  a  more 
brazen  specimen  of  female  humanity  than  this  Mrs.  Robin- 
son ?  She  and  truth  evidently  are  on  bad  terms,  for  they 


STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  207 

never  met.  In  her  direct  testimony  she  volunteers  the 
statement  that  the  defendant  ruined  Stiles.  In  her  cross- 
examination  she  admits  that  he  was  a  gambler,  libertine, 
and  was  a  follower  of  races  before  he  saw  the  defendant, 
and,  according  to  her  statement,  there  was  nothing  left  to 
be  ruined.  She  contradicts  R.  D.  Stiles,  the  scalper,  on 
the  question  of  the  $7,000;  she  says  defendant  told  her  she 
had  that  amount  on  hand  then.  R.  D.  Stiles  said  she  in- 
formed him  that  she  had  had  that  amount  as  Charlie's 
banker,  at  one  time.  She  then  claimed  to  have  been 
familiar  with  defendant  from  time  of  his  birth  up,  and  had 
corresponded  with  him,  and  when  shown  his  letters  says 
she  can  not  tell  whether  any  one  of  them  are  his  or  not. 
She  is  compelled  to  admit  that  she  went  to  the  house  of 
defendant  uninvited  by  her,  partook  of  her  hospitality,  and 
then  tried  to  take  possession  of  the  goods  and  chattels  of 
defendant  and  banish  her  from  the  house;  she  declines  to 
folly  explain  how  it  was  that  her  husband,  Eugene  Stiles, 
(Charlie's  brother)  E.  B.  Stiles,  the  father,  had  from  time 
to  time  lived  off  from  this  woman.  It  appears  that  he  was 
like  the  lilies  of  the  valley,  which  'toil  not,  neither  do 
they  spin.' 

"  I  offered  to  prove  that  he  was  a  gambler  and  she  an  ad- 
venturous woman,  but  was  met  by  an  objection  which  de- 
terred me  tberefrom,  and  could  go  no  further.  R.  D.  Stiles 
stated  in  cross-examination  that  he  was  engaged  in  no  busi- 
ness at  present,  and  had  not  been  for  some  time;  that  he 
used  to  be  a  'SCALPER.'  That  while  engaged  in  working  up 
evidence  against  this  defendant  that  he  talked  with  Mrs. 
Harvey,  who  told  him  that  defendant  had  the  marks  on  her 
neck  when  she  returned  from  Sunnyside.  When  Stiles  saw 
Mrs.  Harvey  the  alleged  crime  had  been  committed,  and  it 
was  easy  for  an  honest  witness  to  bo  mistaken  as  to  the 
time  when  defendant  was  said  to  have  received  the  in- 


208  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

juries  on  her  neck,  and  for  a  man  who  has  malice  in  his 
heart  and  is  engaged  in  a  hunt  for  evidence  against  the 
accused,  he  was  more  than  likely  to  misunderstand  what 
was  communicated  to  him.  Mrs.  Harvey  contradicts  him, 
however,  and  is  not  related  to  the  accused  and  has  no  in- 
terest in  this  case.  Baldwin  Ryerson  says  that  on  or  about 
the  8th  day  of  July,  he  delivered  a  message  to  a  person 
who  made  the  threats  referred  to;  that  from  that  time  until 
September  or  October  following  he  had  never  thought  of 
the  matter,  and  that  the  next  time  he  saw  defendant  she 
was  in  jail  and  was  pointed  out  to  him  by  a  person  who 
took  her  a  package.  To  test  the  boy's  memory  I  asked 
him  whether  or  not  he  could  remember  ever  having  de- 
livered a  message  to  any  one  of  your  number.  He  said  he 
could  not  tell.  By  chance  I  saw  an  elderly  lady  sitting  be- 
hind me.  I  asked  the  lad  if  that  was  not  Mrs.  Harvey, 
whom  he  saw  at  the  same  time  he  thought  he  saw  defendant. 
He  said,  after  looking  at  her  intently,  that  he  could  uct 
tell.  Again  he  admits  that  he  never  at  the  time  of  de- 
livering the  message  heard  the  name  of  the  defendant,  and 
that  the  first  time  he  heard  it  was  when  that  man  (pointing 
to  R.  D.  Stiles,)  told  it  to  him.  Little  reliance  can  be 
placed  upon  the  testimony  of  the  boy.  He  is,  in  my  opin- 
ion, an  honest  lad,  but  has  been  under  improper  influences; 
he  has  the  odor  of  the  Owl  Club  about  him,  and  a  lie  has 
been  put  in  his  month,  but  he  failed  to  intelligently  utter  it. 

"  I  now  come  to  the  consideration  of  the  evidence  of  the 
last  witness,  Mrs.  E.  B.  Stiles,  the  mother  of  Charles. 
Standing  on  the  verge  of  her  son's  new  made  grave  I  am 
disinclined  to  say  aught,  not  fully  maintained  by  the  evi- 
dence, in  regard  to  her.  (Here  counsel  read  a  portion  of 
her  evidence.) 

"There  were  no  tears  in  her  eyes  when  she  described  the 
death-bed  scene  of  her  distinguished  husband,  or  when  she 


8TUBLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  209 

spoke  of  her  son  Charles — cold,  frigid  and  repellant  as 
though  she  was  born  on  an  iceberg  and  rocked  by  the  snow- 
crested  waves  of  the  Arctic.  She  told  you  how  she  learned 
that  her  husband  had  taken  refuge  at  371  Wabash  avenue, 
at  the  house  of  this  girl;  how  she  learned  of  his  fatal  sick- 
ness; how  she  was  restrained  from  visiting  him  by  her  reso- 
lution never  to  see  him  so  long  as  he  went  to  the  home  of 
'that  woman.'  The  result  was  that  the  husband  and  father, 
abandoned  by  wife  and  neglected  by  his  sons,  was  com- 
forted in  his  last  sickness  by  Madeline,  the  mistress  of  his 
son ;  she  slept  night  r.f  ter  night  at  the  foot  of  his  couch,  and 
with  a  devotion  that  never  wearied  and  a  love  that  never 
diminished  she  ministered  to  his  every  want.  In  a  room 
near  by  lay  one  of  his  sons,  (Eugene,)  in  whose  stomach 
was  liquor  and  whose  brain  was  overcome  by  its  fumes. 
He  was  aroused,  and  to  him  was  money  by  Madeline  given 
to  purchase  medicine  for  his  father;  he  went  on  his  errand, 
but  in  vain  waited  the  dying  man  and  his  solitary  watcher. 
Dispatches  were  again  and  again  sent  to  the  wife,  but  to 
no  effect.  Weaker  and  weaker  grew  the  dying  man;  his 
eyes  had  lost  their  luster;  from  his  face  the  blood  had 
receded  to  his  heart;  his  breath  was  labored  and  found  its 
way  through  a  throat  obstructed  by  the  froth  and  foam 
which  precedes  dissolution. 

"  Shortly  before  death  his  wife  appears,  but  she  brought 
no  warmth  or  comfort  with  her,  for  the  almost  pulseless 
man,  who  faintly  whispered  to  Madeline  to  bend  over  him — 
she  complies — with  a  look  of  love  and  kindness  in  his 
filmy  eyes,  he  attempts  to  speak  and  fails — falls  back  and 
in  the  arms  of  a  Camille  dies!  With  a  portion  of  her 
clothing  she  tied  up  his  feet,  and  the  wife  then  assumed 
control  of  the  body  and  it  was  taken  to  the  morgue,  where- 
in, shortly  after,  the  body  of  Charles  also  lay. 

"Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  look  upon  that  bed  of  sickness; 
14 


210  .          STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

view  that  death  scene  and  then  consider  the  conduct  of 
the  sons,  of  the  mistress,  and  of  the  dead  man's  wife !  I 
now  approach  the  medical  branch  of  the  case.  (Here 
council  read  extracts  from  the  evidence  of  Drs.  Brown, 
Lyman,  Schmidt,  Weller  and  Jenks,)  these  physicians  are 
the  cap-sheafs  of  their  profession  •  and  they  are  sustained 
by  Esquirol,  Blanford,  Ray,  By  ford  and  Wharton,  and  an 
army  of  shining  lights  which  to  day  illuminate  the  scien- 
tific world,  and  dispel  from  the  skies  the  clouds  of  ignor- 
ance, brutality  and  superstition.  On  derangement  of  the 
menstrual  function  or  dysmenorrhea  council  cited,  Wharton 
Sec.  525  to  530;  Connection  of  Uteris  with  Brain,  Blanford 
69;  Effect  of  Torment  on  Brain,  Blanford  67;  Opinion  of 
Dr.  Nichols  and  others  on  effect  of  cold  upon  person 
afflicted  with  difficult  menstruation,  Harris  case,  page  80; 
May  show  different  acts  of  defendent  as  evidence  of  in- 
sanity, 12  Alabama,  827;  one  leading  case,  page  95  and  97. 
When  a  medical  man  has  observed  habits  of  patients  (as 
Dr.  Bates  did  of  case  at  bar)  may  give  opinion  on  the 
facts,  1st  Philips  on  Evidence  662,  (top  paging).  On 
general  question  of  insanity  and  effect  of  letters  council 
cited,  7  Abbott's  Practice,  (U.  S.)  321,  Cole  case;  8  Abbott's 
Practice,  (U.  S.)  57,  McFarlin;  1  Bishop,  Sec.  469  to  482. 
Partial  insanity  recognized  from  the  days  of  Lord  Hale 
to  present  time,  see  Hadfield  121;  Deliberation  and  cool- 
ness evidence  of  insanity  rather  than  sanity,  see  trial  of 
Hadfield  and  Oxford,  also  Hopps'  case  31st  Illinois.  Hence 
the  evidence  of  Willis  Howe,  Fred  Livingston,  Frank 
Brobst  and  others,  who  are  all  respectable  gentlemen  and 
in  no  wise  connected  with  the  Owl  Club,  and  who  testified 
as  to  what  defendant  did  and  said  at  the  Palmer  house, 
which  instead  of  showing  malice  and  intent  as  claimed  by 
the  State,  prove  insanity.  Mr.  Howe  swore  that  she 
leaned  against  the  wall  and  said — "  I  came  here  to  do  it — 


8TURLA-STILES  TRAQEDS.  211 

I  have  done  it — let  the  law  take  its  course," — that  she  then 
bent  over  the  dead  man  and  after  looking  at  him  fondly 
kissed  him.  Mr.  Livingston  said  that  in  her  eyes  there 
•was  a  far  away  look,  and  that  her  face  Was  very  white. 
This  evidence  associated  with  the  condition  that  she  was 
found  to  be  in  when  she  was  examined  at  the  station, 
proves  her  to  have  been  insane  or  irresponsible,  beyond  a 
doubt  I  will  not  insult  your  intelligence  by  discussing 
the  evidence  of  these  witnes3es  further,  but  will  resume 
my  discussion  of  the  law  governing  this  case. 

"When,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  our  own  Supreme  Court 
has  passed  upon  a  question  of  law  and  fact,  it  is  worse 
than  idle  to  seek  for  authority  on  that  question  in  the 
decision  of  the  courts  in  other  States;  as  against  our  own 
they  are  valuless.  The  decision  of  our  Supreme  Court  as 
enunciated  by  Judge  Breese  is  controlling,  and  well  it  may 
be,  sustained  as  it  is  by  reason,  humanity  and  justice.  As 
a  lawyer  Sidney  Breese  was  the  peer  and  companion  of  the 
great  Abraham  Lincoln,  David  Davis,  and  Leonard  Swett. 
That  great  jurist  is  now  dead  but  he  has  left  behind  him  a 
monument  of  his  sterling  genius,  so  high  that  its  crest  is 
lost  in  the  clouds  of  erudition." 

Court  ad'ourned. 


CHAPTEE  XI. 
TWENTIETH  DAY— DECEMBER  18th,  1882. 

When  the  court  opened  all  the  seats  in  the  room  were 
filled,  and  the  aisles  were  all  crowded  by  people  who  were 
forced  to  stand.  There  were  present  a  large  number  of 
ladies,  members  of  the  bar  of  this  and  other  States,  legis- 
lators and  distinguished  citizens.  Upon  the  bench  beside 
Judge  Gardner,  sat  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
T.  Lyle  Dickey.  The  jury  looked  wise  but  said  nothing. 
The  lawyers  on  the  case  performed  their  respective  duties 
well  and  eloquently.  The  final  appeal  of  Mr.  Trude  in- 
duced one  of  the  jurors  to  lose  his  poise,  and  he  breaks 
out  into  loud  applause  along  with  the  remainder  of  the 
audience. 

Mr.  Trude: — "I  will  resume,  gentlemen  of  the  jury, 
where  I  left  off  last  night.  Our  Supreme  Court  joins  the 
army  of  scientific  men,  and  among  other  questions  decides 
or  rather  recognizes  such  a  mental  condition  as  partial 
insanity,  and  cites  abundant  authority  for  so  doing.  Bold 
are  the  men  of  whatever  profession  who  would  run  their 
heads  against  such  a  rampart,  as  that  erected  by  these  men 
of  science,  aided  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of 
Illinois. 

"  His  Honor,  on  the  bench,  will  recognize  that  decision 
and  instruct  you  that  there  is  such  a  mental  condition  as 
partial  insanity.  Every  other  jurist  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  this  great  State  is  bound  to  bow  to  and 
follow  that  decision.  Yet  two  or  three  medical  men  dis- 
covered by  the  State,  undertake  to  over-rule  the  Supreme 


STURLA-8TILES  TRAGEDY.  213 

Court,  and  say  that  all  these  great  men,  mentioned  by  me 
are  fools,  and  the  literature  which  they  have  given  to  the 
world,  trash. 

"Dr.  Jewell  is  doubtless  a  skilled  physician,  most  of 
whose  time  is  devoted  to  the  curing  of  the  physically  sick; 
he  was  never  connected  with  an  insane  asylum  and  never 
had  much  experience  in  treating  the  insane.  Gentlemen 
of  the  jury,  remember  his  evidence  and  the  manner  in 
which  he  gave  -it.  What  a  look  of  ineffable  disgust  there 
was  on  his  face  when  I  read  the  Hopps'  case  to  him !  He 
could  not  have  looked  more  so  if  it  had  been  a  dime  novel. 
In  fact  the  Doctor  opened  wide  his  month,  filled  his  lungs 
with  wind  and  prepared  to  blow  out  at  one  breath  the 
great  lamp  of  science,  and  envelope  us  in  a  misty  gloom  of 
such  intensity  that  only  bigotry  could  be  discerned.  On 
questions  of  insanity  the  Doctor  is  insane. 

"  Drs.  Hay  and  Jackson  are  both  recognized  as  efficient  and 
capable  physicians,  but  on  the  questions  involved  in  this 
case  they  do  not  agree  with  each  other,  and  both  of  them 
disagree  with  Dr.  Jewell.  (Here  counsel  referred  again  to 
their  evidence.) 

"  How  could  she  be  otherwise  than  insane  ?  is  an  inquiry 
suggested  to  many  minds  during  the  progress  of  this  trial. 
When  he  knocked  her  down  and  kicked  her  in  the  face  she 
would  not  brook  interference,  but  gurgled  through  her 
blood  that  as  she  alone  suffered  she  alone  could  rebuke. 
This  is  so  unnatural  as  to  suggest  insanity.  She  gave  him 
all  the  wealth  of  her  love,  all  her  worldly  effects,  and  fol- 
io'.ved  him  with  dog-like  servility  and  got  in  return — what? 
Blows  and  curses.  She  was  less  affected  by  his  blows  and 
curses,  however,  than  she  was  by  his  infidelity.  It  was  on 
making  this  discovery  that  she  ran  him  out  of  the  house 
and  did  the  acts  of  seeming  violence  to  him.  I  think  I 
Jiave  conscientiously  and  carefully  reviewed  all  the  evidence 


214  STTJBLA-STILES  TKAGEDY. 

given  in  this  case  by  both  sides,  and  desire  that  the  evi- 
'dence  find  such  a  lodgment  in  your  minds  that  it  may  not 
be  expelled  by  what  either  counsel  may  say,  independent 
of  the  evidence.  The  Oourt  will  instruct  you  that  it  will 
be  your  duty  to  disregard  all  statements  of  counsel  not  sup- 
ported by  evidence.  The  prosecution  is  given  by  law  the 
right  to  close  the  case.  A  closing  argument  is  a  great 
power  and  advantage  even  when  made  by  a  lawyer  of  or- 
dinary capacity,  but  when  employed  by  so  able  and  eloquent 
a  man  as  this  prosecuting  attorney  it  is  a  terrible  weapon. 
No  one  can  correct  his  mis-statements  of  facts  or  mis-quo- 
tations of  law  if  he  should  be  betrayed  into  making  them. 
Sole  reliance  must  be  placed  on  the  intelligence  and  sense 
of  justice  of  the  jury,  who  will  find  some  way  of  rebuking  a 
lawyer  for  improperly  using  that  tremendous  advantage 
which  the  law  in  its  impolicy  gives  him. 

"  Frequently  during  the  progress  of  this  trial  has  the 
name  Owl  Club  been  used.  That  leads  us  to  inquire  more 
particularly  what  it  is  and  who  are  its  members. 

"  It  takes  its  name  from  a  bird  that  sleeps  in  the  day- 
time and  is  awake  roaming  around  in  the  night-time.  So 
it  is  with  this  club  and  the  members  thereof. 

"  As  originally  organized  it  had  good  men  in  it — journal- 
ists whose  duties  and  labors  kept  them  out  late  nights,  to 
which  were  added  actors;  then  a  number  of  rich  men's  sons 
(though  none  the  less  fast)  became  members.  Then  the  or- 
ganizers retired  and  surrendered  their  membership,  and  a 
fourth-class  consisting  of  rakes  and  libertines  took  their 
place. 

"  The  organization  of  the  Owl  Club  reminds  me  of  the 
first  club  of  the  kind  that  was  started.  It  was  in  the  far 
West  on  the  "prairie  somewhere  near  western  Kansas.  The 
first  member  was  a  well-meaning  and  respectable  owl,  who 
sat  near  the  entrance;  it  was  next  joined  by  a  prairie  dog, 


8TUBLA-STILKS  TSAGEDY.  215 

next  by  a  rattlesnake,  then  the  skunk  got  in  under  a  sus- 
pension of  rules. 

"  Some  of  you,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  may  have  in  your 
travels  on  the  great  western  prairies  seen  those  clubs  thus 
organized.  They  are  less  disreputable  and  less  odorous 
than  the  club  under  consideration. 

"This  club  is  now  largely  composed -of  young  men  whose 
parents  are  so  exclusively  engaged  in  the  accumulation  of 
wealth  that  they  neglect  the  ethics  and  morals  of  their  sons. 
The  result  is  that  they  are  more  dangerous  to  the  com- 
munity and  a  greater  menace  to  society  than  professional 
criminals.  They  are  in  the  main  debauchees  and  libertines 
of  the  most  pronounced  type.  And  this  is  largely  due  to 
the  malformation  of  society  itself,  for  it  visits  all  its  vencm 
on  poor  defenseless  woman  while  her  villainous  betrayer 
treads  ankle  deep  in  the  rich  carpets  of  palatial  mansions, 
his  head  unbowed  by  shame.  The  victim  of  his  perfidy  and 
lust,  however,  is  exiled  from  society,  banished  from,  home 
and  diiven  to  a  life  of  prostitution,  and  finally  sleeps  on  the 
cold  marble  slab  at  the  morgue.  No  woman  becomes  a 
prostitute  except  through  the  agency  of  our  sex.  Upon 
woman  falls  all  the  chances  of  exposure  and  shame,  and  she 
alone  is  made  the  sufferer.  Those  gay  young  men  make 
cyprians  and  people  houses  of  ill-fame  with  them,  and  were 
the  lightnings  of  God's  wrath  to  strike  the  structure  where- 
in the  Owl  Club  holds  high  carnival,  and  reft  it  from  dome 
to  basement,  the  moral  atmosphere  would  be  more  pure. 
Look"  at  the  picture  and  see  to  it  that  I  do  not  exaggerate. 
Charles  Stiles,  a  leading  member  in  that  club,  waits  in  the 
hall-way  of  a  well-known  house  of  ill-fame  to  obtain  from 
his  ill-treated  mistress  the  fruits  of  her  shame,  and  when  ob- 
tained joins  other  members  of  the  Owl  Club  who  await  him 
outside,  and  they  proceed  to  the  club-room  where  they  revel 
in  a  saturnalia  of  sin  till  dawn  appears.  The  ominous  owl, 


216  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

like  the  acts  of  the  members  of  the  club  bearing  its  name, 
can  not  stand  the  light  of  day.  They  hurry  to  their  hotels, 
(not  their  homes,)  with  flushed  cheeks  and  swollen  heads, 
till  night,  and  when  they  come  out  their  vices  take 
some  other  form.  Again,  it  is  not  disputed  that  Charles 
Stiles  accompanied  by  members  of  that  club  went  to  No.  10 
Clark  street  to  break  in  by  violence — that  Stiles  had  a  pis- 
tol with  him,  which  Officer  Bemars  took  from  him  and  dis- 
persed the  party — that  this  weapon  was  taken  by  the  officer 
to  Stiles  at  the  Owl  Club.  On  another  occasion  Stiles  and 
several  members  of  the  club  went  to  No.  10  Clark  street  to 
induce  defendant  to  sing,  and  on  her  cheerfully  complying 
Stiles  poured  wine  down  her  back,  when  his  companions 
were  greatly  amused. 

"  The  defendant,  in  testifying,  mentioned  these  persons 
as  members  of  the  Owl  Club.  Under  the  circumstances  it 
was  not  for  her  to  give  their  names.  But  the  States  Attor- 
ney could  elicit  them  and  he  had  only  to  ask  her,  when,  as 
I  stated  during  the  trial,  she  would  give  them.  He  did  not 
ask  her  because  he  knew  she  told  the  truth  and  to  contra- 
dict her  was  impossible. 

"  The  officer  could  give  them — those  corset-wearing,  but- 
ton-hole-bouquet young  men  are  known.  You  see  them 
near  theatres  on  matinee  days.  You  hear  them  greeting 
shop-girls  on  their  way  home,  and  woe  betide  the  unfortunate 
girl  who  returns  his  greeting  and  accepts  an  invitation  to 
supper,  for  she  is  lost.  She  must  be  guarded  by  an  angel} 
indeed,  if  she  be  proof  against  the  blandishments  of  these 
practiced  libertines  who  study  the  tastes,  inclinations,  habits 
of  the  girl  he,  or  they,  have  marked  for  a  victim.  Though 
assailed  as  individuals  and  as  a  club,  not  one  of  them 
has  dared  to  reply  to  or  contradict  this  defendant  or  my- 
self. I  predict  that  the  exposure  resulting  from  this  trial 
will  sound  the  death  knell  of  this  club.  It  ie  to  be  hoped 


STTJRLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  217 

that  it  will,  for  no  plummet  can  sound  the  depth  of  its  de- 
pravity. 

"  There  was  clearly  identified  with  this  prosecution  one 
of  its  members  who  was  seen  in  the  company  of  our  most 
valued  witness,  who  soon  after  disappeared.  They  are 
interesting  themselves,  not  that  they  desire  so  much  to 
avenge  Charles  Stiles,  as  to  so  punish  this  woman  as  to 
spread  terror  along  the  line  as  they  call  it.  They  want  it 
understood  that  under  no  circumstances  and  upon  no  prov- 
ocation can  a  woman  strike  down  one  of  their  number. 
As  they  are  constantly  engaged  in  violating  laws,  human 
and  divine,  they  feel  the  urgent  need  of  crushing  out  this 
victim  so  as  to  apall  the  rest.  When  the  administration 
of  justice  is  upheld  by  such  hands,  then  is  it  time  that  you 
take  from  the  typical  figure  called  Justice  her  robes  of 
white,  and  clothe  her  in  scarlet  and  write  on  her  forehead, 
so  plainly  that  he  '  who  runs  may  read/  the  word  HARLOT. 

"  Conspicuous  during  this  long  trial  have  Mrs.  E.  B.  and 
Mr.  B.  D.  Stiles  appeared;  on  their  faces  resolution  is 
blended  with  that  of  malice.  They,  of  all  the  members  of 
the  Stiles  family,  claim  to  be  good  Christians.  Hoping  this 
is  true  I  commend  to  them  the  words  that  came  from  that 
great  Being  who  lives  beyond  the  home  of  the  rolling  thunder 
and  the  flashing  lightning— '  VENGEANCE  is  MINE  AND  I  WILL 
REPAY,'  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts. 

"  It  appeared  from  the  evidence'of  this  case  that  many 
facts  are  in  the  possession  of  Eugene  Stiles,  Charles' 
brother.  Why  has  he  not  appeared  as  a  witness  ?  The 
same  is  true  of  Chinney  Stiles,  the  uncle;  it  is  likewise  true 
of  uncle  Robinson.  Why  have  not  they  appeared  ?  These 
difficult  questions  the  prosecution  can  not  answer,  but 
how  easy  it  is  for  us  to  do.  The  defendant  testified  that 
these  members  of  the  Stiles  family,  together  with  other 
members  of  both  sexes,  had  frequented  the  Watson  houae 


218  STUKLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

and  had  borrowed  money  of  her,  and  knew  of  her  exact 
relations  with  Charles  Stiles.  "What  a  family!  "What 
morality !  No  oratorical  tube-roses  of  the  State's  Attorney 
can  conceal  their  hideous  moral  deformities. 

"  Remember,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  in  this  case  you  have 
the  widest  range — you  can  if  you  choose  send  this  woman  to 
the  gallows,  or  you  can  send  her  to  the  penitentiary  for  any 
term  not  less  than  one  year,  or  for  life,  or  you  can  acquit 
her.  These  various  findings  are  within  your  power.  The 
domain  is  exclusively  your  own.  By  convicting  this  defend- 
ant you  will  elate  the  vengeful  members  of  the  Stiles  family, 
and  the  Owl  Club  and  every  pimp  and  libertine  in  the  city 
will  rejoice.  On  the  other  hand  acquit  her  and  you  will 
send  a  thrill  of  joy  and  gladness  into  every  home  where 
virtue  lives,  and  where  vice  may  creep  in  to  deceive  and 
destroy. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  in  a  few  moments  I  shall  have 
discharged,  as  best  I  could,  inefficiently  I  admit,  my  duty 
to  this  unfortunate  woman.  The  present  is  the  most  sol- 
emn hour  of  my  life.  Were  I  defending  a  man  surrounded 
by  friends  with  monetary  agencies  to  help  him,  I  would  be, 
perhaps,  supinely  indifferent  as  to  results,  for  there  are 
other  courts  beyond  this  to  which  persons  so  situated  may 
appeal.  Not  so  is  it  with  this  woman.  The  Rebecca  of 
Sir  Walter  Scott's  pen  was  not  more  alone,  as  she  wandered 
in  Sherwood  forest,  afraid  of  Christians  and  shunning  Jews, 
than  is  this  girl.  She  avoids  the  frail  of  her  sex,  and  the 
virtuous,  with  but  one  noble  exception,  shun  her. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  do  you  not  think  as  you  look 
into  this  woman's  face  that  she  has  suffered  enough  in 
body,  endured  enough  in  mind  to  last  her  through  life  ? 
She  will  be  in  your  custody  to-night,  and  before  any  one  of 
you  vote  on  the  question  of  guilt  or  innocence,  I  ask  you 
in  your  mind's  eye  to  divest  her  of  her  clothing  and  look 


8TURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  219 

upon  a  bruised  and  mutilated  piece  of  humanity,  from 
whose  body  and  mind  health  and  happiness  is  forever  ex- 
iled. If  you  acquit  her,  a  good  woman  stands  ready  to  aid 
her.  There  is  a  wall  of  fire  between  her  and  the  house  of 
shame.  When  left  alone  and  uncontrolled  by  any  person, 
her  inclinations  were  in  the  direction  of  morality  and  purity 
of  life,  and  above  all,  charity. 

"  There  sits  a  little  boy,  who  to-day  is  a  respectable  farmer, 
who  but  for  this  defendant  would  probably  have'  been  a 
thief;  as  he  was  a  wanderer  on  the  streets  with  no  one  in 
the  wide  world  who  was  concerned  in  the  welfare  of  either 
his  body  or  soul.  That  little  lad  is  here  evincing  his 
gratitude  to  the  girl  who  clothed  his  nakedness,  satisfied 
his  hunger,  educated  his  mind,  and,  knowing  from  her  own 
bitter  experience  the  .dangers  and  temptations  of  city  life, 
committed  him  to  the  care  of  a  good  old  farmer.  They  are 
her  only  friends,  and  while  poverty  and  helplessness  are 
apparent  they  are  her  true  friends. 

"  You  remember  the  occasion  when  the  deceased,  for  the 
purpose  of  extorting  money  from  the  prisoner,  took  her  to 
•the  railing  of  the  vessel  and  pointing  to  the  dark  and  angry 
waters  of  the  Mississippi,  said:  'Do  as  I  wish,  or  I  will 
throw  you  in.  There  is  no  law  that  protects  prostitutes.' 
By  your  verdict  inform  the  young  men  of  the  class  to 
which  he  belonged,  that  they  are  in  error — that  the  misfor- 
tunes of  the  fallen  woman  does  not  place  her  beyond  the 
pule  of  the  law.  I  ask  you  to  render  such  a  verdict  as  will 
meet  the  approval  of  your  conscience,  and  the  sanction  of 
that  God  who  will  one  day  be  the  sole  juror  who  will  fin- 
ally judge  you  all. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  in  a  few  days  Christmas  will  bo 
here,  and  I  ask  you  to  render  such  a  verdict  in  this  case 
that  when  you  look  into  the  blazing  firejof  your  happy 
homes  on  that  sacred  yet  joyful  day,  you  do  not,  in  fancy, 


220  STUKLA-STILES  TRAGEDY: 

see  in  the  smoke  and  embers  the  pale  face,  the  tearful  eyes 
and  bruised  body  of  this  Italian  girl  there  to  reproach  you. 
I  ask  you  not  to  hasten  a  conclusion,  but  render  such  ver- 
dict that  you  can  look  your  wives  and  daughters — and  you 
young  men — your  sweethearts  in  the  face.  Do  not  be 
prejudiced  against  her  on  account  of  nationality  or  sur- 
roundings. The  free  winds  of  tolerance  has  swept  from 
the  skies  of  this  country  the  clouds  of  bigotry.  Sinned  she 
may  have,  but  only  then  at  the  instigation  of  her  lover. 
Many  years  ago  another  woman  sinned  and  was  pursued 
by  a  howling  mob  in  whose  uplifted  hands  were  stones 
which  they  designed  to  hurl  at  the  head  and  body  of  the 
grief  and  terror  stricken  woman.  To  the  frenzied  mob  the 
Savior  said:  'Let  him  that  is  without  sin  cast  the  first 
stone;'  none  were  thrown;  and  to  the  trembling  woman 
who  clung  to  his  garments  for  protection  he  said  with  pity 
in  his  eyes  and  sorrow  in  his  heart — '  neither  do  I  condemn 
thee — go  thou  and  sin  no  more.'  The  day  made  holy  by 
this  divine  being  is  near  at  hand.  Let  it  recall  his  sacred 
words  to  you  for  imitation  and  example,  and  unite  in  saj- 
ing  to  this  no  less  unfortunate  and  stricken  woman:  '  Go 

THOU  AND  SIN  NO  MORE.'  " 

"  The  last  word  of  Mr.  Trude  had  scarcely  fallen  from  his 
lips,  when  the  great  crowd  in  the  court-room  broke  into  an 
uproar  of  applause,  which  for  some  minutes  Judge  Gardner 
and  his  bailiffs  were  not  able  to  interrupt. 

"  One  of  the  jurors  sitting  in  the  front  row,  apparently 
overcome  by  the  eloquent  words  of  Theressa's  counsel, 
joined  in  the  applause  and  clapped  his  hands  with  the  rest. 
It  was  some  little  time  before  he  seemed  to  realize  what  he 
was  doing,  but  as  the  crowd  naturally  attracted  by  the  un- 
usual incident  began  to  watch  his  manifestations  of  appro- 
val, he  suddenly  stopped  and  appeared  somewhat  be- 
wildered. He  then  covered  his  face  with  his  hands  and 


LUTHER  LAFLIN  MILLS. 


8TURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  221 

looked  as  if  he  was  about  to  faint.  A  glass  of  water  was 
handed  him  and  he  was  allowed  to  retire  from  the  room  for 
a  few  moments. — Chicago  Daily  News,  Dec.  13. 

When  quiet  was  restored  States  Attorney  Mills  arose  and 
began  his  closing  address,  as  follows: 

"May  it  please  your  Honor  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Jury: 
For  the  third  time  in  this  trial,  it  is  my  duty  now  to  ad- 
dress you  on  behalf  of  the  People  of  the  State  of  Illinois. 
Never  before  in  my  brief  but  not  uneventful  life  have,!  been 
so  impressed  by  duty  to  be  done,  and  impressed  by  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  inadequacy  of  my  ability  to  do  what  my 
People  ask  me  to  do.  Therefore  I  ask  your  indulgence  for 
my  weakness,  and  your  favoring  attention  to  all  I  say.  I 
stand  in  the  temple  of  the  social  community ;  I  see  its  walls 
defaced;  I  see  its  sacred  altar  fires  growing  dim;  I  stand 
beside  the  body  of  the  dead.  No  mere  sentiment — no  weak 
sentimentality — no  diverting  trick  nor  fraud — engages  my 
solemn  thought.  I  stand  under  the  social  dome  with  mil- 
lions around  me — a  death  staring  at  me — death  with  glazed 
eyes  staring  up  into  the  social  dome;  and  I  hear  a  million 
voices  speaking,  '  Let  the  law  of  this  State,  without  fear, 
favor,  or  affection,  be  honestly  and  bravely  administered 
and  justly  executed.'  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  men,  citizens, 
will  you  not  now  rise  with  me  above  the  trick  and  strata- 
gem of  fraud,  and  all  pretense  and  hollow  things — up  to 
those  heights  of  calm  serenity,  where  Justice  has  her  abode 
and  God  presides  ? 

c:Last  evening,  while  the  poor  widow  was -receiving  the 
lashings  of  the  lawyer,  and  a  tear  came  to  my  eye,  even  I 
looked  upon  her  white  face  and  tearless  eye  and  wondered 
why  it  was  so;  and  turning  to  the  good  woman,  I  said, 
*  Don't  be  worried,  madam.'  She  answered,  as  if  by  in- 
spiration, '  What  care  I  for  all  these  wrongs  and  frauds, 
these  slanders  and  attacks.  Troubles  in  the  furnace  fire  I 


222  STTIKLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

may  have  suffered  in  my  life.  Widowed,  the  mother  of  a 
murdered  boy,  I  find  consolation  in  higher  things — I  walk 
with  God.' 

"I  ask  you,  gentlemen,  from  this  time  on  to  lift  your 
thoughts  and  judgments  above  ordinary  events,  and  on  those 
heights  above,  to  decide  what  is  the  truth — what  is  the 
right — what  is  the  eternal  law.  And  I  believe  you  will  favor 
my  asking,  for  you  are  here  under  the  most  solemn  obliga- 
tion ever  assumed  by  men.  When  you  were  placed  on  the 
jury  each  one  of  your  number  raised  his  hand  to  Heaven 
and  took  a  solemn  oath  to  well  and  truly  try  this  case  of 
the  People  of  the  State  of  Illinois  against  the  defendant, 
and  a  true  verdict  render  according  to  the  law  and  the  evi- 
dence. That  oath  is  recorded  on  the  tablets  of  your  God. 
It  was  more  than  a  mere  form  of  law  and  courts,  or  as  one 
of  the  incidents  in  the  administration  of  laws.  It  was  a 
sacred,  a  solemn,  a  religious  pledge  made  between  your- 
selves and  that  God  whose  name  you  invoked. 

*'  It  is  not  improper,  I  think,  for  me  at  the  outset  of  our 
inquiry  to  make  a  brief  comparison  between  the  methods 
which  have  characterized  the  prosecution  of  this  case  and 
those  which  have  characterized  the  defense,  and  I  submit 
to  you — to  your  memory  and  your  judgment — this  one 
claim :  that  the  whole  inspiration  of  the  prosecution — every 
thought  and  act  in  it — has  been  a  desire  to  bring  before  you 
the  absolute  truth  of  this  case.  There  has  been  no  con- 
cealment; there  has  been  no  fraud;  there  has  been  no  veil- 
ing of  the  truth;  but  all  we  could  obtain  of  truth  we  gave 
to  you  without  any  stint. 

"  The  counsel,  learned,  shrewd,  and  most  able,  who  repre- 
sents this  woman  began  this  case  by  a  charge  against  the 
prosecution.  With  his  fiery  lash  he  let  blows  fall  upon  the 
State  in  its  representative,  and  also  upon  the  family  of  the 
dead  boy.  He  denounced  it  as  a  wrong  and  an  injustice 


STtJRLA-STlLES  TRAGEDY.  223 

and  an  outrage  that  that  widowed  woman  should  sit  in  this 
court-room  and  hear  this  trial.  But  who,  of  all  the  world, 
outside  yourselves,  the  judge,  and  the  lawyers  here,  and 
the  prisioner  being  tried,  has  a  better  human  right  to  sit 
and  hear  and  see  the  events  of  this  great  investigation, 
starting  with  the  miserable,  hurried,  brutal  death  of  her  fa- 
vorite child.  Why,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  suppose  the  son 
of  any  one  of  you,  in  the  toils  of  temptation,  in  his  folly  and 
fault  and  sin,  had  been  murdered  by  a  harlot — the  boy 
whose  whispering  breath  you  heard  so  early  in  his  first 
days, — whom  you  cradled  in  your  love — whom  you  held 
and  fondled  because  he  was  your  boy — whom  you  trained, 
educated,  toiled  for,  and  loved  as  you  loved  yourself — upon 
whom  you  builded  highest  hopes  for  all  the  future — who 
was  to  be  your  staff  in  old  age,  the  comfort  of  your  soul  in 
your  last  days.  Suppose  he  had  been  murdered  by  a  har- 
lot, you  would  go  to  him  in  the  dead-house,  you  would  go 
to  him  in  the  tomb,  and  you  would  kiss  his  pale,  dead  face, 
and  you  would  beg  to  be  taken  off  with  him,  because  you 
are  men  with  hearts  and  souls  and  human  love.  She  is  a 
woman;  has  she  no  right  here? 

"The  defense  is  characterized,  first,  by  an  element  of 
trickery  and  fraud.  Why?  Because-  the  constant  effort 
has  been  made  iu  this  court-room  to  impress  you  with  the 
idea  that  Theressa  Sturla  is  an  insane  woman  now,  and  the 
learned  counsel,  in  one  of  his  addresses,  took  occasion  to 
remind  you  that  he  had  for  a  client  a  person  utterly  useless 
to  him.  For  three  long  weeks  has  this  defendant  sat  be- 
hind the  table  and  never  spoken  one  word  to  her  lawyer, 
excepting  once,  and  yet  the  evidence  is  as  positive  and 
conclusive  as  evidence  can  be  that  while  this  defendant  is 
outside  the  court-room,  the  moment  this  court  adjourns 
at  the  close  of  the  day  she  begins  a  consultation  with  her 
lawyer  and  holds  receptions  in  the  county  jail.  This 


STURLA-STTLES   TRAGEDY. 

defendant,  silent  in  the  court-room,  becomes  talkative  in 
the  jail. 

"  Again,  there  has  been  forced  into  this  case  much  that 
is  not  true;  much  of  sentimentality  that  has  no  foundation. 
It  has  been  offered  here  to  be  shown  that  a  great  many  peo- 
ple have  gone  to  see  this  defendant  in  the  jail.  The  effort 
has  been  made  to  impress  you  with  the  idea  that  this  de- 
fendant has  not  been  befriended  by  Carrie  Watson,  but  by 
other  people.  Now,  I  have  no  fault  to  find  with  any  pity 
that  is  just  and  right.  I  have  an  open  hand  of  recogni- 
tion for  any  generous  spirit  standing  by  honest  trouble; 
but  I  do  not  have  so  great  a  respect  for  mistaken  philan- 
thropy and  erroneous  pity,  The  name  of  a  most  distin- 
guished lady,  well  known  in  this  community,  has  been 
mentioned  by  the  counsel  for  the  defendant,  and  she  her- 
self took  the  witness-stand.  For  that  lady  I  have  no  harsh 
word  to  speak,  but  I  beg  to  say  to  her  in  all  kindness  and 
proper  gallantry:  Oh,  good  madame,  will  you  not  this  cold 
December  day  go  with  me  through  the  streets  and  lanes  of 
our  great  town.  Taking  my  humble  hand  for  guidance, 
come  with  me  to  the  pauper  homes  of  the  honest  poor. 
Let  us  go  into  the  country  and  get  green  spray  from  fields 
and  decorate  our  bounty  and  prepare  a  Christmas  dinner 
for  the  starving  children  of  the  honest  poor.  Let  us  take 
it  to  the  cripple,  the  pauper,  the  Tiny  Tim  going  hungry 
on  the  street,  to  all  those  sufferers  from  human  woe.  Let 
us  go  and  aid  them.  Let  us  be  kind  to  God's  poor,  and 
then  afterward  take  care  of  the  devil's  poor. 

"Again  the  counsel  has  seen  fit  to  attack  with  his  fiery 
lash  and  scourge  the  white  character  of  a  woman  who 
happens  to  be  a  witness  for  the  prosecution — because  she 
was  the  mother  of  the  dead  boy.  On  what  evidence  is 
this  ferocious  assault  built  ?  Upon  the  evidence  of  people 
disreputable,  of  infamous  character,  vile,  and  base.  On 


STUBLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  .  225 

this  foundation  is  the  fabric  of  the  attack  made  upon  the 
widow  and  her  relations.  Why,  gentlemen  of  the  jury, 
you  would  not  convict  a  poor  woman  of  the  pettiest  crime 
against  the  law  on  such  evidence.  How  is  it  then  that  a 
lawyer  can  build  ferocious  assaults  upon  the  character  of  a 
woman  upon  so  flimsy  and  miserable  a  basis  ? 

"  Again,  one  other  characteristic  of  the  methods  of  this 
defense  has  been  an  undue  and  unfounded  magnifying  of 
the  sufferings  of  this  defendant.  Have  her  sufferings  been 
greater  than  others  have  endured  ?  The  world  is  full  of 
trouble.  It  is  the  common  lot  of  men  and  women  and 
children.  Grief  is  the  omen  of  birth,  and  trouble  sits 
upon  the  cradle's  edge  and  whispers  in  the  ear  of  the 
child.  Woman  is  the  sufferer  always.  That  is  the  nature 
of  her  physical  organization.  She  is  the  burden-bearer. 
With  her  tender  love  she  bears  the  griefs  of  man  and 
children.  The  woman — honest,  virtuous,  good,  who  never 
broke  a  law,  who  slaves  from  early  morning  till  midnight 
hour,  who  lives  upon  scanty  fare,  who  takes  care  of  her 
boys  and  girls — she  is  a  sufferer  too.  The  widow  who, 
even  while  she  stands  by  the  new-made  grave  of  her 
husband,  sees  the  soil  prepared  to  receive  the  body  of  her 
slain  boy — does  she  not  suffer  ?  " 

The  State's  Attorney  then,  after  showing  how  the  only 
character  presented  of  Charles  Stiles  had  been  that  painted 
by  a  disappointed  woman — a  professional  harlot — pro- 
ceeded to  say: 

"  They  have  called  him  a  murderer,  a  scoundrel,  a  brute. 
Why?  Because  the  indicted  harlot  tells  us  so.  Who  is 
the  defendant,  Tneressa  Sturla?  We  can  answer  the 
question  from  her  own  lips.  At  the  age  of  15,  leaving 
the  shelter  of  her  father's  house,  where  do  we  find  her? 
Forgetting  father  and  mother,  we  find  her  in  a  house  of 
shame  in  the  city  of  Baltimore.  She  there  remained  for 
15 


226  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

several  months,  while  in  the  same  city  was  the  parental 
roof-tree  ready  to  shelter  and  welcome  her  coming.  I  have 
pity  for  the  honorable  and  unfortunate.  I  have  pity 
for  the  regretting  bad.  I  sympathize  with  the  remorse 
of  one  who,  having  done  a  wrong,  regrets  the  fact, 
but  what  sympathy  can  one-  have  for  one  of  15  years  who 
leaves  voluntarily,  who  remains  away  voluntarily  from  her 
father's  home  in  the  city  of  her  birth,  and  follows  the  life  of 
harlotry  all  her  life,  and  says  she  likes  it,  and  would  not 
leave  it  if  she  could  ?  We  cannot  apply  to  the  mistress 
and  her  man  the  same  test  of  judgment  as  we  apply  to  a 
good  man  and  a  good  woman,  his  wife,  because  there  are 
evident  responsibilities,  risks,  dangers,  perils  in  the  rela- 
tions of  mistress  and  man  that  do  not  belong  to  wife  and 
husband.  She  was  a  willing  tool  in  this  defiance  of  the 
rights  of  home,  of  morals,  of  law.  Her  counsel  paints  for 
you  only  a  picture  of  suffering.  "Why  not  spread  upon  the 
canvas  all  the  history  of  her  relations — all  the  scenes  of 
revelry  in  the  houses  of  shame?  She  lived  at  Carrie 
Watson's;  she  lived  at  Eldridge  court;  she  kept  her  own 
house  of  shame  at  10  Clark  street.  She  said  to  Mrs. 
Robinson,  "I  love  this  life;  I  began  it  when  I  was  12  years 
of  age.  I  can  sell  more  wine  and  attract  more  men  than 
any  woman  in  Chicago.  I  love  this  life."  Do  you  suppose 
that  if  one-hundredth  part  of  her  story  is  true  she  would 
have  lived  so  long  with  this  man  ?  "What  bond  held  her  ? 
What  obligation  forced  a  compliance?  None  whatever. 
Her  living  with  him  is  a  brand  of  perjury  on  the  story  she 
has  told  you." 

The  State's  Attorney  then  reviewed  carefully  the  testi- 
mony presented  in  the  case,  varying  his  analysis  of  it  with 
many  an  eloquent  comment 

Upon  the  conclusion  of  the  address  the  court  stated  that 
eighty-nine  instructions  had  been  presented  to  him  for  the 


8TDRLA- STILES  TRAGEDY.  227 

jury's  consideration,  and,  as  it  would  take  considerable 
time  to  read  them  over  before  presenting  them,  he  would 
adjourn  court  till  morning,  which  was  accordingly  done. 

"After  the  jury  were  instructed  they  retired,  and  after 
remaining  out  all  day  and  night,  on  the  morning  of  Dec. 
15th  announced  this  conclusion,  which  was  evidently  a 
compromise  verdict  finding  her  not  guilty  of  murder  but 
guilty  of  manslaughter  with  a  one  year  term  of  imprison- 
ment. As  the  jury  were  filing  out  of  the  court-room  it 
was  learned  that  ten  of  their  number  were  for  acquittal, 
and  two  (Tobias  and  Forbes)  were  for  conviction  with 
death  penalty  punishment.  The  ten  finally  agreed  to  this 
compromise,  for  the  reason  that  they  thought  that  the 
prisoner  would  have  to  remain  in  jail  about  a  year  any 
way  before  she  could  be  again  tried.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  Tobias  and  Forbes  were  the  jurors  that  Trude 
tried  to  exclude  from  the  jury." — Chicago  Times  of  Dec.  16. 

SATURDAY,  DECEMBER  23rd,  1882. 

The  defendant  requested  her  counsel  not  to  ask  for  a 
new  trial.  Mr.  Trude  then  said  to  the  court:  "Obeying 
the  instructions  of  my  client  I  do  not  desire  to  press  the 
motion  formally  made  for  a  new  trial.  Shall  the  prisoner 
come  forward. 

The  Court  assented,  whereupon  Theressa  Sturla,  with  a 
smile  on  her  face,  walked  to  the  space  in  front  of  the 
court,  which  brought  her  near  E.  D.  Stiles,  uncle  of 
Charles,  the  murdered  man.  Upon  being  asked  if  she  had 
anything  to  say  replied: 

"  I  am  willing  to  go  to  prison  for  one  year.  It  will  take 
that  length  of  time  to  get  over  my  dysmenorrhea,  (looking 
at  B.  D.  Stiles).  As  I  go  I  carry  with  me  the  pleasant 
recollection  that  ten  of  the  jury  stood  by  me,  and  that  of 
the  other  two,  one  of  them  Andrew  Forbes,  was  once  the 


228  STTJRtA-STlLES  TBAGHBt. 

keeper  of  a  house  of  ill  fame,  and  a  son  of  his  killed  by 
one  of  its  inmates,  and  the  other  Tobias,  was  put  on  the 
jury  to  convict  me,  although  my  lawyer  tried  to  put  him 
off.  After  thanking  her  attorney  and  friends  she  smilingly 
awaited  what  his  Honor  had  to  say.  Judge  Gardner  said 
that  it  became  his  duty  to  carry  out  the  verdict  of  the 
jury.  I  wish  to  say  that  you  have  been  as  thoroughly 
defended  as  any  person  I  have  ever  seen  or  ever  heard  of 
in  the  history  of  criminal  cases.  I  can  not  in  fact  conceive 
of  a  stronger  defense  than  that  interposed  by  your  able 
and  eloquent  counsel;  this  will  be  seen  from  the  result. 
Your  term  is  the  lowest  known  to  the  law. 

"When  the  Court  concluded  she  with  an  elastic  step  went 
back  to  jail. — Chicago  Times,  Dec.  24,  1882. 

"As  the  woman  delivered  this  brief  oration  she  was  a 
picture.  Those  who  saw  her  during  the  trial,  would  not 
have  dreamed  her  capable  of  the  ironical  accent  and  con- 
teinptous  curl  of  the  lips  with  which  she  spoke  that  portion 
referring  to  her  complaint.  They  would  have  been  equally 
surprised  to  have  witnessed  the  imperious  sweep  of  the 
hand  which  attended  the  return  of  thanks  to  the  court." — 
Chicago  Tribune,  Dec.  24. 


PART  III. 
Conclusions  by  the  Author. 

CHAPTER  I. 

CRIMES    AND    CORRUPTIONS   RESULTING  FROM 
DESECRATION  OF  MARRIAGE. 

Is  this  the  finale — this  the  conclusion  of  this  terrible 
tragedy?  Is  Chicago,  the  great  maelstrom  of  iniquity, 
only  to  gather  up  the  fragments  and  pile  up  the  wreck, 
leaving  it  to  be  forgotten  ?  Is  there  no  word  of  warning, 
counsel  or  information  to  be  given  as  safeguards  to  the 
mariners  on  life's  sea?  Has  art,  music,  beauty,  talent  and 
love — the  highest  and  noblest  gifts  of  the  human  soul — 
fallen  so  low  as  to  become  the  hand-maids  of  prostitution, 
dissipation  and  murder,  and  we  stand  by  mute  and  help- 
less? 

Was  it  love  that  caused  Theressa  Sturla  to  send  the 
pistol  ball  through  the  heart  of  Charles  Stiles,  or  was  it 
perverted  and  outraged  human  nature  in  the  frenzy  of  pas- 
sion wresting  the  prerogative  of  justice  from  the  hands  of 
the  law  and  asserting  itself  as  embassador  of  vengeance  ? 
Does  the  soil  of  love  spontaneously  bring  forth  such'  fruit  ? 
Does  the  gentle  lamb  in  a  moment  change  to  a  ravenous 
wolf — the  cooing  dove  to  a  venomous  serpent?  Nay,  it  is 
the  want  of  love  that  makes  prostitutes,  libertines,  paupers, 
and  I  might  truly  say,  is  the  primal  cause  of  all  the  misery 
in  this  world. 

The  doctrine  of  love  was  the  central  theme  of  all  the 


230  STUBLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

preaching  and  labors  of  Christ.  "Love  thy  neighbor  as 
thy  self.  Love  thine  enemies.  Love  them  that  hate  you. 
Do  good  to  them  that  persecute  and  revile  you  and  say  all 
manner  of  evil  against  you,"  were  the  precepts  He  gave, 
and  which  He  followed  by  loving  and  merciful  examples. 
And  all  through  the  meandering  years  that  have  followed 
His  advent  has  humanity  been  tortured,  scourged,  starved 
and  driven  to  frenzy  for  want  of  love.  And  to-day,  the 
want  of  it  in  the  home,  between  husband  and  wife,  parents 
and  children,  brothers  and  sisters,  in  the  neighborhood,  in 
the  church,  and  in  the  entire  world  is  what  is  causing  the 
misery  and  strife.  Love  unites,  but  never  separates.  It 
feeds  the  hungry,  clothes  the  naked,  comforts  the  afflicted, 
reclaims  the  wanderer,  and  forgives  the  erring.  Love  is 
God,  and  God  is  love.  It  fits  man  for  the  companionship 
of  angels  and  allies  him  with  Divinity.  It  is  the  perversion 
of  this  strongest  and  holiest  passion  that  leads  men  and 
women  to  surfeit  the  animal  desires,  then  turn  upon  its 
recipient  with  disgust,  loathing  and  hatred.  Then  human 
intelligence  gives  it  another  name,  calling  it  lust. 

Love  is  the  reality,  lust  the  fiction;  love  is  the  wheat, 
lust  the  chaff ;  love  is  the  poetry  and  harmony  of  life,  lust 
the  jargon  and  discord;  love  is  Heaven,  lust  is  Hell. 

That  Charles  Stiles  and  Theressa  Sturla  each  possessed 
the  elements  which,  if  directed  in  proper  channels,  would 
have  made  them  capable  of  love — earnest  and  pure,  and  a 
life  of  more  than  ordinary  brilliancy  and  usefulnes  there  is  no 
doubt,  but  it  is  equally  certain  from  the  evidences  shown  in 
their  entire  career,  that  the  baser  passion  became  the  dom- 
inant power  which  controlled  their  unitious  and  their 
separations  and  was  at  last  the  cause  of  the  terrible  crime 
which  terminated  his  life  and  branded  her  with  the  mark 
of  Cain.  And  now,  having  summed  up  the  trial  and  their 
history,  it  seems  to  be  the  duty  of  intelligence  and  mercy, 


STUIILA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  231 

in  the  interests  of  unstained  womanllood  and  honest  man. 
hood,  and  in  behalf  of  innocent  childhood,  to  explore  the 
ground  still  before  us,  and,  if  possible,  restrain  their  feet 
from  following  in  the  loveless,  sorrowful  pathway  strewn 
with  broken  vows  and  with  the  sad  wreck  of  human  hearts. 

What  a  picture  is  the  life  of  Charles  Stiles  and  Theressa 
Sturla  for  our  children  to  look  upon!  What  an  experience 
was  hers  for  a  girl  of  twenty-three — in  the  morning  of 
womanhood — with  a  life-time  before  her,  full  of  promises, 
of  happiness  and  usefulness  in  the  sphere  of  purity 
and  goodness — wasting  her  wealth  of  love — the  unsearch- 
able riches  of  her  woman's  heart,  and  abasing  her  virtues 
in  a  life  of  shame  1  And  Charles  Stiles,  with  all  his  talent 
and  brilliant  powers,  which  fitted  him .  for  the  higher  and 
better  walks  of  life,  consumed  in  the  fire  of  dissipation  and 
infamy ! 

But  with  all  this  appalling  scene  before  us,  the  question 
comes  home  to  us,  as  responsible  beings,  does  this  crime 
belong  wholly  to  the  parties  who  enacted  it  ?  If  so,  what 
part  of  it  belongs  to  the  woman — what  part  to  her  victim  ? 
But  a  more  important  query  than  all — to  what  extent  are 
we  responsible  for  this  and  the  many  similar  crimes  com- 
mitted under  the  auspices  of  our  social,  religious,  political 
and  educational  institutions  ? 

Muy  not  society,  after  all,  be  responsible  for  every  sinner 
it  has  in  it  ?  May  not  these  sinners  be  God's  avenging 
angels  sent  to  chastise  us  as  a  people  for  our  remissness  in 
duty,  our  lack  in  vigilence  in  keeping  pure  the  fountain's 
head  f  Does  not  the  putrid  corpse  of  Charles  Stiles  lie  at 
the  door  of  our  institutions?  Does  not  the  human  gore 
which  drips  from  the  hands  of  the  murderess  fall  upon  the 
threshold  of  Church  and  State  ? 

If  our  institutions  are  sending  one  to  the  grave  and  the 
other  to  the  prison  or  gallows,  it  may  become  the  duty  of 


232  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

some  one  who  sees  with  more  than  eyes  and  hears  with 
more  than  ears  to  sound  a  note  of  alarm. 

The  Sturla-Stiles  tragedy  is  by  no  means  an  isolated 
one — would  that  it  were.  Neither  are  these  tragedies  con- 
fined to  that  class  of  people  who  are  openly  immoral. 
Though  no  two  of  them  may  be  alike,  and  though  thou- 
sands of  them  may  never  reach  the  public  ear,  yet  daily 
and  hourly  are  dreadful  sacrifices  made  upon  the  altar  of 
this  "  abomination  of  desolation "  set  up  in  the  place  of 
the  "  holy  of  holies." 

"Various  theories  have  been  put  forth  by  clergymen  and 
moral  reformers,  still  the  torrent  of  crime  is  like  the  rush 
of  many  waters,  and  our  ears  are  filled  with  cries  of  murder 
and  rapine  on  every  hand,  and  the  arbitrary  enforcement 
of  law  fails  utterly  to  stay  its  headlong  course. 

If  the  enforcement  of  law  was  sufficient  in  itself  to  sup- 
press crime;  if  the  leaders  in  society  who  claim  to  be 
virtuous,  law-abiding  and  peace-loving  citizens  are  really 
so,  then  will  crimes  like  the  one  under  consideration  be 
known  only  amongst  that  class  who  are  openly  regardless 
of  law.  But  do  we  find  this  to  be  the  case?  Nay.  There 
are,  probably,  as  many  tragedies  and  crimes  within  the 
pale  of  legalized  marriage  as  among  the  social  outcasts. 
The  records  of  our  criminal  courts,  as  well  as  the  circula- 
ting literature  of  the  day,  is  virtually  smirched  with  ac- 
counts of  elopements  of  married  people,  and  of  divorces, 
of  wife-beating,  wife-murder  and  husband-murder,  and 
thousands  of  lawyers  in  our  criminal  courts  feed  and  thrive 
upon  these  abuses  of  the  marriage  relation. 

A  large  proportion  of  married  people  are  studying  how 
they  may  become  unmarried,  and  would  resort  to  any  strata- 
gem or  expend  any  amount  of  money  to  rid  themselves  of 
the  self-imposed  compact,  and  if  they  can  not  influence  or 
bribe  those  who  administer  the  law  to  come  to  the  rescue, 


STURLA-8TILES  TRAGEDY.  233 

they  chafe  under  the  conjugal  yoke  and  lead  lives  of  secret 
warfare  which,  if  not  ending  in  murder  or  suicide,  can  be 
no  more  nor  less  than  a  consuming  fire  which  burns  out  all 
the  holier  or  better  feelings  and  causes  a  torture,  to  which 
Nebuchadnezzar's  seven-fold  heated  furnace  were  a  rose- 
garden.  "We  believe  that  the  universal  lack  in  the  moral 
foundation  of  marriage  is  a  prolific  source  of  crime  and  li- 
centiousness. Intrigue  and  a  "  pet "  or  lover,  aside  from 
the  wife  or  husband,  has  become  the  ruling  ambition  in  cer- 
tain aristocratic  circles.  Hotels,  parks,  theatres,  houses  of 
assignation — yes,  and  post-offices  are  largely  patronized  by 
those  who  associate  and  correspond  under  assumed  names 
and  relations.  Hence,  the  sexes  have  become  suspicious 
and  wary  of  each  other,  and  the  unmarried  prefer  to  re- 
main so  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  getting  a  companion 
who  would  practice  intrigue  and  infidelity  upon  them,  simi- 
lar to  what  they  have  been  guilty  of  practicing  upon 
others. 

All  these  things  go  to  prove  that  arbitrary  law  can  not,  of 
itself,  change  the  tendencies  of  the  heart. 

Law,  man-made,  can  not  unite  or  separate  hearts  no  more 
than  it  can  force  the  buds  and  blossoms  to  unfold,  the  sun 
to  shine  or  be  hid  under  a  cloud,  the  wind  to  blow  a  storm 
or  gentle  breeze.  A  law  may  be  passed  forbidding  those 
who  love  purely  and  truly  from  dwelling  together,  and  be- 
ing to  each  other  a  moral  and  spiritual  help  and  solace;  it 
may  force  the  semblance  of  union  and  make  one  say  he 
loves  that  which  in  his  soul  he  detests,  but  this  only  adds 
to  the  number  of  law-breakers  and  hypocrites  already  in  the 
world,  and  desecrates  the  institution  of  marriage. 

True  marriage  is  divine.  It  is  the  garden  of  the  soul 
where  all  the  sweet  and  fragrant  flowers  of  love  grow  in 
beauty  and  symetry.  Legislation  can  only  throw  a  hedge 
around  it  to  protect  it  from  intruders.  The  ceremony  if 


234  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

subservient  to  the  higher  law  is  merely  an  acknowledgment 
of  a  pre-existing  union  of  hearts,  giving  the  pair  legal  pro- 
tection as  life  partners  and  can  be  perpetuated  by  moral 
rather  than  legal  keeping,  and  when  sincere  attachment  is 
the  basis  no  coercive  means  are  necessary  to  make  it  eter- 
nal, no  more  than  it  is  necessary  to  hold  the  law  prohibiting 
murder  and  theft  over  the  heads  of  moral  people  to  restrain 
them  from  committing  those  crimes.  The  law  does  not 
touch  them.  They  live  above  it,  being  a  law  unto  them- 
selves. Thia  law  of  self-purity  and  self-government  is  the 
law  which  makes  obedience  a  virtue  in  itself,  and  elevates 
its  subject  to  nobility  and  grandeur  of  soul,  and  enables  him 
to  wield  an  influence  for  good  greater  than  that  of  the 
greatest  monarch  that  ever  sat  upon  a  throne.  That  the 
majority  have  not  yet  reached  a  condition  of  moral  unfold- 
ment  which  enables  them  to  comprehend,  much  less  prac- 
tice, this  higher  and  better  law,  is  true.  That  extraneous 
means  are  necessary,  wholesome  and  proper  in  regulating 
these  things,  is  self-evident.  And  it  is  doubtful  whether 
any  theory  put  forth  by  social  iconoclasts  would  in  its  prac- 
tical application  result  in  a  better  state  of  things  than  now 
exists.  And  we  can  but  conclude  that  reform  in  this  direc- 
tion, as  well  as  others,  must  be  a  matter  of  growth,  of  edu- 
cation. 

Every  thing  in  the  world's  history  and  in  individual  ex- 
perience tends  to  prove  that  the  higher  the  state  of  civiliza- 
tion, of  moral  growth,  and  individual  culture,  the  more  ex- 
clusive and  durable  does  marriage  become.  And  we  be- 
lieve that  any  theory  or  doctrine  which  would  undermine 
the  lasting  union  between  one  man  and  one  woman  is  a 
relic  of  barbarism,  and  should  be  discountenanced  by  every 
moral  person. 

Every  fleeting  attraction  is  a  step  backward,  not  forward, 
in  the  scale  of  civilization,  and  only  when  the  divinity  of 


8TURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  235 

love  aiid  the  holy  purpose  of  marriage  shall  have  been  com- 
prehended, and  entered  into,  with  wisdom  and  obedience  to 
the  higher  intuitions  of  the  heart,  and  all  sexual  relations 
based  upon  and  understood  to  grow  out  of  a  union  of  mind 
and  heart,  will  prostitution  cease. 

The  man  or  woman  who  is  worthy  tne  name  o*  manhood 
:ind  womanhood  will  not  debase  themselves  by  merely  sex- 
ual indulgence — a  companionship  based  upon  a  mere  differ- 
ence of  sex,  beauty  of  person,  or  mercenary  interests.  They 
will  seek  reciprocity  of  mind  and  heart  and  tastes  as  well 
as  physical  adaptation,  and  we  believe  that  such  marriages 
seldom  call  for  divorce. 

Separations  are  unnatural  and  repugnant  to  all  moral 
people.  And  even  when  mistakes,  and  lack  of  wisdom  in 
forming  the  alliance,  has  made  it  unavoidable,  which,  alas, 
is  too  often  the  case,  it  is  invariably  attended  with  the  mqpt 
acute  anguish  of  mind  and  heart,  with  any  person  who  is 
capable  of  deep  and  true  r  Section.  None  except  those  who 
are  depraved  — morally  o£ft*BQ  or  reckless — would  willingly 
abandon  one  whom  they  had  taken  to  their  hearts  as  hus- 
band or  wife. 

But  ambition,  want,  or  the  stress  of  circumstances  often 
induce  women,  especially,  to  marry.  And  when  a  woman 
marries  for  a  home,  for  money  or  for  position  in  society, 
thus  placing  the  highest  and  purest  relation  known  to  the 
sexes  on  a  mercenary  basis,  her  sense  of  virtue  and  delicacy 
is  as  essentially  blunted  and  she  sells  herself  as  veritably  as 
her  poorer  and  less  fortunate  sisters  who  make  a  wholesale 
business  of  their  sexuality  and  become  public  prostitutes. 

This  marriage  of  mind  and  heart  is  invulnerable  to  the 
ravages  of  time  or  to  the  interference  of  law,  as  has  often 
been  proved  by  the  inflexible  determination  of  persons  who 
have  been  thwarted  in  their  early  attachments,  to  live  lives 
of  celibacy,  or  if  persuaded  to  marry  any  other  than  the 


236  STUBLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

heart's  chosen  mate,  the  inevitable  unhappiness  resulting 
therefrom.  A  higher  duty  may  come  between  the  parties — 
circumstances  may  forbid  their  dwelling  together,  but  the 
heart-union  is  no  less  indissoluble.  And  where  marriage  is 
formed  upon  a  union  of  hearts  there  grows  around  it  all 
lesser  interests  of  a  temporal  nature,  of  thoughts  and  mem- 
ories that  grow  and  strengthen  with  the  years. 

That  there  are  instances  where  natural  antagonism  arises 
and  breaks  through  all  this  is  too  true,  and  a  condition 
could  scarcely  be  imagined  which  would  be  more  wretched 
than  that  which  would  result  from  two  persons  being  com- 
pelled to  inhabit  the  same  house  and  to  meet  daily  in  the 
closest  relations,  having  toward  each  other  only  an  increas- 
ing vicious  feeling,  engendering  ill-temper,  fault-finding, 
carelessness,  and  a  total  lack  of  self-respect  and  respect  for 
each  other.  Such  a  condition  of  things  destroys  the  peace 
of  the  entire  household  and  breeds  quarrels  and  bickerings 
among  children,  and  is  a  direct  incentive  to  licentiousness 
and  secret  and  debasing  sexual  relations. 

Marriage,  the  family,  the  home,  should  be  the  sanctum 
sanctorum,  the  "  holy  of  holies."  The  place  where  kind- 
ness, charity  and  love  reigns  supreme,  and  the  home  where 
contentions,  selfishness  and  discord  exists  is  a  burlesque 
upon  human  intelligence  and  is  accursed. 

I  can  not  so  well  express  my  own  sentiments  upon  this 
grandest  and  greatest  of  subjects  as  by  quoting  the 
language  of  Robert  G.  Ingersoll,  who  though  an  infidel 
according  to  the  comon  acceptation,  has  in  my  opinion 
gone  deeper  into  the  lore  of  love  and  human  justice  than 
any  other  man  or  woman  in  the  land.  He  says:  "  1  regard 
marriage  as  the  holiest  institution  among  men.  Without  the 
fireside  there  is  no  human  advancement;  ivithout  the  family 
relation  there  is  no  life  worth  living.  Every  good  government 
is  made  up  of  good  families.  The  unit  of  government  is  the 


STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  237 

family,  and  anything  that  tends  to  destroy  the  family  is  perfectly 
dcvlish  and  infamous.  I  BELIEVE  IN  MABBIAGE,  and  I  hold  in 
utter  contempt  the  opinions  of  long  haired  men  and  short 
haired  women  who  denounce  the  institution  of  marriage.  * 
*  *  The-  grandest  ambition  that  any  man  can  possibly  have 
is  to  so  live  and  improve  himself  in  heart  and  brain  as  to  be 
worthy  of  the  love  of  some  splendid  woman,  and  the  grandest 
ambition  of  any  girl  is  to  make  herself  worthy  of  the  love  and 
adoration  of  some  magnificent  man.  *  *  *  There  is  no 
success  in  life  without  it.  If  you  are  the  grand  empercr  of 
the  world  you  had  better  be  the  grand  emperor  of  one  lon'ny 
heart  and  she  the  grand  empress  of  yours.  THE  MAN  WHO  HAS 

REALLY  WON  THE  LOVE  OF  ONE  GOOD  WOMAN  IN  THIS  WORLD,  I  DO 
NOT  CARE  IF  HE  DIES  IN  THE  DITCH  A  BEGGAR,  HIS  LlFE  HAS  BEEN  A 
SUCCESS." 

But  while  the  marriage  contract  should,  above  all 
others,  be  made  with  the  greatest  deliberation,  it  is  often 
made  with  greater  recklessness  than  that  of  any  other 
co-partnership.  Indeed,  the  acquaintance  between  the 
parties  is  seldom  formed  under  circumstances  which  bring 
out  the  real  character  of  the  man  or  woman.  It  is  usually 
formed  in  the  drawing  room,  or  perhaps  in  the  ball  room 
or  at  some  place  of  amusement  where  the  participants  are 
on  dress  parade  and  society  manners,  and  is  purely  super- 
ficial. A  handsome  foot  and  ankle,  a  pair  of  brilliant  eyes, 
a  naked  perfect  arm,  a  fine  bust,  a  head  of  luxuriant  hair, 
a  fine  singer  or  an  adept  at  the  piano,  or  in  the  waltz,  fills 
the  ideal  of  the  average  young  man  of  society.  (All  honor 
and  praise  to  the  gift  of  music,  to  the  poetry  of  motion  in 
the  dance,  and  to  physical  beauty  and  grace.  They  are 
worthy  of  emulation,  but  if  not  accompanied  by  beauty 
and  goodness  of  soul,  they  are  as  sounding  brass  and  tink- 
ling cymbals. )  The  man  of  the  world  selects  a  wife,  as  he 
would  a  horse,  for  her  physical  beauty  and  adaptation  to 


238  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

the  place  he  wants  to  put  her  in.  He  does  not  regard  her 
as  an  equal  or  as  a  soul  companion,  but  as  a  play  thing  for 
his  leisure  moments,  a  superb  doll  which  he  decorates  with 
jewels,  laces,  and  finery  and  shows  off  as  a  brilliant  ap- 
pendage to  his  elegance  and  style.  Or  perhaps  the  girl  has 
a  rich  father,  and  he  has  an  eye  to  that,  and  when  he 
stands  at  the  altar,  instead  of  marrying  the  bride  whose 
hand  he  holds  in  his  he  is  really  marrying  her  father's 
money. 

The  young  lady  of  society  accepts  a  husband  on  the 
same  plane  of  external  considerations.  She  estimates  him 
according  to  the  value  and  brilliancy  of  the  diamonds  he 
wears,  the  elegance  of  his  "  turn  out,"  and  for  his  polished 
manners.  Slie  looks  upon  him  as  her  legalized  gallant. 
She  is  proud  of  his  style,  proud  of  his  servants,  of  the 
pearls,  diamonds,  and  luxuriant  home  he  keeps  her  in. 
Do  such  marriages  form  the  basis  of  homes  where  domestic 
peace  and  the  joy  of  real  companionship  is  known?  No, 
they  are  homes  where  the  laughter  and  prattle  of  innocent 
childhood  is  seldom  heard.  They  are  homes  where  mater- 
nity, the  God  given  crown  of  woman's  glory  and  joy,  is  not 
regarded  as  a  welcome  or  sacred  event.  They  are  hom'es 
where  children  are  considered  burthens  and  hinderances — 
where  children  are  neglected  by  the  mothers,  who  should 
be  their  most  constant  companions,  and  left  to  the  capiices 
and  wiles  of  ignorant  servants.  They  are  homes  where 
children  are  not  permitted  to  come  into  the  world  if  there 
is  sufficient  potency  in  the  skill  of  the  druggist  or  abor- 
tionist, to  prevent  them.  The  unborn  babe  is  not  only 
murdered  but  the  mother  by  her  murderous  practice,  her- 
self, becomes  a  suicide.  Healthy,  frugal  and  industrious 
mothers  like  the  mother  of  our  great  and  noble  Lincoln, 
Garfield,  Elaine  and  others,  are  the  exceptions,  and  families 
of  healthy  and  frolicsome  children  are  entirely  out  of 


8TURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  239 

fashion,  and  only  found  in  the  homes  of  the  poor  and 
ignorant  laborers. 

Physicians  are  constantly  annoyed  with  disgusting  im- 
portunities from  ladies  for  abortions  or  some  method  by 
which  they  may  escape  motherhood;  and  from  gentlemen 
who  are  either  suffering  from  unmentionable  diseases,  or 
wh?  are  the  fathers  or  seducers  of  some  beautiful  and 
respectable  girl,  and  would  bribe  or  pursuade  the  physician 
to  commit  a  murder,  or  devise  some  means  by  which  her 
shame  may  be  hid  from  the  world  and  they  absolved  from 
disgrace.  If  the  co  -operation  of  the  M.  D.  can  be  obtained 
it  is  all  arranged  very  nicely  and  respectably  ? 

The  girl  disappears  for  a  time  from  the  circles  where  she 
has  been  a  shining  star — makes  a  tour  to  Europe  or  per- 
haps visits  some  friend  in  California.  After  a  few  months 
if  the  unborn  is  not  murdered,  another  foundling  is  added 
to  some  hospital  or  left  upon  the  marble  door-stone  of 
some  wealthy  mansion,  and  the  girl-mother  returns  to  her 
home— a  trifle  paler  and  sadder  than  before.  But  her 
pride  stimulates  her  to  resume  her  former  round  of  gayety, 
and  though  it  has  now  no  attractions  for  her  wounded 
heart,  she  goes  deeper  than  ever  into  vanity  and  deceit 
that  she  may  dispel  the  shadow  that  hangs  over  her  soul, 
and  effectually  hide  from  the  world  the  fact  which  pride, 
custom  or  law  cannot  annihilate.  The  laws  of  God  and 
nature  cannot  be  set  aside  or  their  effects  be  ignored.  The 
tie  of  mother-hood  is  sacre  1  whether  legalized  or  not. 

"  A  child  was  given  to  sanctify 

A  woman— set  her  in  the  .sight  of  all 

The  clear  eyod  heavens,  a  chosen  minister 

To  do  their  Inisiii  :         !  *i>iriis  up 

The  difficult  blue  heights!     \Vh;it  woman  lives 

Not  bettered,  quickeiii'.:  toward  the  truth  and  good 

Through  being  a  mother?  " 

But  many  a  girl,  naturally  noble  and  pure  of  heart,  who 


240  STUKLA-STILES   TRAGEDY- 

in  an  unguarded  moment  yields  to  the  smiles,  caresses  and 
flattery  of  the  man  she  loves;  makes  a  wreck  of  her  entire 
future,  and  through  disappointment,  wounded  pride  and 
recklessness,  becomes  a  secretly  wicked  and  abandoned 
woman. 

If  all  the  illicit  practices,  from  one  cause  and  another, 
existing  in  the  higher  walks  of  life  were  disclosed,  and  if 
many  of  those  who  are  now  regarded  as  patterns  of  excel- 
lence and  virtue,  and  who  appear  to  be  supremely  happy, 
could  be  shorn  of  their  ornaments  and  the  protection 
which  wealth  and  position  throws  around  them,  we  should 
not  only  see  many  lacerated  hearts,  but  many  an  one  as 
stark  and  bare  of  the  moral  qualities  which  clothe  and 
beautify  the  soul  as  was  ever  Theressa  Sturla's.  And  it  is  a 
fact  demonstrated  on  every  hand,  that  these  unnatural 
customs  have  led  not  only  to  moral  depravity,  but  to 
disease  and  physical  deterioration. 

There  is  scarcely  a  healthy  woman  to  be  found  in  all  the 
land,  except  among  the  peasantry  and  immigrants  who 
have  not  yet  become  educated  in  the  arts  of  society. 

Two-thirds  of  the  women  we  meet  with  are  no  more  nor 
less  than  bundles  of  weak  and  sensitive  nerves.  They  can 
endure  nothing,  accomplish  nothing  worthy  the  name  of 
woman,  and  in  their  later  years  drag  out  a  miserable  pale- 
faced  hypochondriac  existence  and  die  prematurely.  And 
how  is  it  with  the  offspring  of  such  mothers?  Do  any  of 
our  orators,  inventors,  statesmen  or  great  and  good  men 
spring  from  such  parentage  ?  Nay,  the  children  who  have 
had  the  hardihood  to  survive  the  attempts  at  fceticide,  are 
nervous,  excitable,  intemperate,  sickly  and  licentious,  and 
grow  up  to  be,  if  not  utterly  wicked  and  corrupt,  to  say 
the  least,  but  weak  minded  dandies  and  flirts — mere 
excuses  for  men  and  women,  living  in  a  round,  of  what 
might  properly  be  denominated  high  toned  iniquity. 


CHAPTEE  H. 

EARLY    INFLUENCES   AND   EDUCATION,   AS   AF- 
FECTING CHARACTER. 

In  view  of  all  these  things  we  can  but  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  cause  of  evil  as  well  as  good  lies  greatly  in 
circumstances  over  which  children  have  but  little  control. 

It  is  necessary  in  order  to  have  good  children,  good  men 
and  good  women,  that  they  be  conceived  in  love  and  purity 
— that  they  be  born  right  and  reared  right.  There  is  no 
other  effectual  means  by  which  crime  and  corruption  can  be 
permanently  cured 

The  home  and  fireside  is  the  nucleus  of  all  reform. 
Good  example,  careful  and  attentive  domestic  discipline,  is 
the  surest  foundation  for  good  communities.  When  wise, 
kind  and  judicious  home  training  lead  children  to  honor 
and  obey  their  parents  and  to  be  correct  and  orderly  in 
their  habits,  the  early  habit  of  obedience  and  good  behavior 
becomes  second  nature  and  in  after  years  it  is  less  difficult 
to  conform  to  the  laws  and  regulations  which  have  a  wider 
range.  But  in  the  present  generation  there  is  a  universal 
and  deplorable  carelessness  in  the  home  training,  and  much 
of  the  recklessness  and  wickedness  of  after  years  is  directly 
attributable  to  this  cause. 

Indeed,  the  memories  and  influences  of  childhood  have 
in  all  human  souls  been  deepest  planted  and  most  perma- 
nently grown. 

The  aged  grandsire  and  granddame,  having  climbed  the 
long  weary  hillside,  look  with  tearful,  longing  eyes,  down 
the  slope  to  the  old,  old  home,  and  in  the  soft  sweet  light 
16 


242  STURLA-STTLES  TRAGEDY. 

of  memory  linger  around  its  hallowed  precincts,  listening 
to  the  kindly  counsel  of  the  dear  old  father  and  mother 
whose  voices  were  long  since  hushed,  and  feeling  the  warmth 
of  kindness  and  sympathy  which  beamed  from  the  loved 
faces  that  gathered  around  the  glowing  hearth  in  the  long 
ago.  All  the  experiences  and  joys  of  after  years  are  as 
naught  when  compared  with  these. 

But,  alas,  how  frequently  does  the  aged  sinner  whose  life 
has  been  full  of  sorrow  and  whose  gray  hairs  are  as  a  crown 
of  thorns  upon  his  head,  turn  with  bitter  memories  toward 
hfs  childhood,  where  scenes  of -turmoil,  strife  and  drunken- 
ness drove  him  from  the  home  into  the  wide  world,  with  no 
word  of  counsel  or  love  to  guide  his  steps  and  no  incentive 
in  his  heart  but  that  of  hatred  toward  his  fellow  men. 

The  parents  are  the  child's  first  teacher,  and  its  educa- 
tion begins  long  before  its  mind  is  conscious  of  the  objec- 
tive world.  I  would  not  be  understood  to  here  use  the 
word  education  in  its  mere  technical  sense  of  a  school  and 
books,  for,  indeed,  books  and  schools  approach  very  slowly 
that  which  we  most  need  to  know  in  practical  life.  The 
child  is  often,  through  these,  brought  into  a  maze  of  mys- 
teries and  theories  which  darken  and  perplex  rather  than 
unfold  the  mind.  I  would  employ  the  word  education  in 
its  integral  sense,  applying  it  to  every  faculty  of  the  nrind^ 
heart  and  body.  This  education  begins  with  the  very  germ 
of  life  and  ends  only  when  life  ends. 

Our  every  breath,  every  motion  and  pulsation  is  a  push- 
ing out  or  expression  of  mind — an  elimination  of  some 
thought  or  motive  which  is  reaching  forward  to  some  object 
beyond,  and  there  is  nothing  in  the  wide  world  that  is  so 
diminutive  or  trifling  as  not  to  make  an  expression  upon 
our  lives  and  serve  as  incentives  or  educators.  Looks,  ges- 
tures, and  even  the  intonations  of  voices  are  the  child's  ed- 
ucators long  beiore  it  discovers  a  meaning  in  words. 


STURLA-STTLES   TRAGEDY.  *        243 

The  face  of  the  mother,  beaming  with  its  wondrous  wealth 
of  love,  as  she  bends  over  the  cradle,  the  caressing  touch  of 
her  hand,  her  warm,  sweet  kiss  upon  the  baby  cheek,  the 
low  soothing  tone  of  her  voice  and  the  tender  melody  of 
the  nursery  songs  are  educators,  beginning  their  work  in 
the  unconscious  dawn  of  the  child's  love-life,  and  as  it  ad- 
vances on  life's  journey  it  is  all  the  way  being  instructed  by 
its  surroundings.  The  atmosphere,  the  landscape,  the  over- 
hanging sky,  whether  clear  or  cloudy,  the  pictures  on  our 
walls,  the  hue  and  pattern  of  the  carpets  on  our  floors,  and 
every  person  we  meet  with  are  our  educators. 

It  has  been  said  by  a  noted  mental  philosopher  that  it  is 
impossible  for  a  person  to  enter  a  room  and  come  out  the 
same  as  he  was  before.  Even  inanimate  objects  and  scenes 
have  the  power  to  awaken  feelings  of  awe  and  devotion,  and 
we  can  but  compare  the  human  soul  to  a  many-stringed  in- 
strument which  vibrates  at  the  touch  of  every  thing  it  meets. 
The  nursery — the  home  is  the  starting  point,  the  nucleus 
of  life — and  when  we  leave  it  and  go  out  into  the  world  we 
diffuse  what  we  have  taken  on,  there.  And  in  all  the  after 
life  we  are  constantly  giving  and  receiving,  ever  dependent 
upon  our  surroundings  as  our  educators.  In  the  tender- 
ness of  childhood  these  impressions  are  more  readily  re- 
ceived and  more  openly  and  unreservedly  repeated.  Hence 
the  conduct  of  children  is  often  the  open  book  in  which  may 
be  read  the  sealed  page  of  the  parental  heart.  In  the  play- 
ground is  often  enacted  in  pantomime  the  hypocracies,  en- 
vyings  and  strife  which  obtains  in  maturer  years,  and  we 
are  shown  that  men  and  women  are  after  all  but  children 
of  larger  growth  amusing  themselves  with  noisier  tops  and 
finer  kites. 

The  average  child  in  what  is  called  high  society  is  scarcely 
out  of  the  cradle  before  it  is  an  adept  in  the  little  knacks  of 
deception.  The  highest  ambition  of  the  little  girl  is  to  be 


244  STUBLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

mincy,  nobby  and  showy,  to  play  the  piano,  have  soft,  white 
hands,  little  dainty  feet,  and  not  to  know  how  to  do  any 
thing  like  work — that  would  make  her  coarse  and  vulgar, 
just  like  the  children  of  the  poor  and  ignorant,  and  would 
never  do. 

Boys,  also,  learn  early  that  to  drive  a  sharp  bargain,  to 
get  money  by  trickishness  and  deceit,  that  to  drink  wine, 
wear  diamonds  and  smoke  cigars  is  a  sure  indication  of  a 
gentleman,  and  that  the  less  there  is  of  honest  toil  and  fru- 
gality and  simplicity  of  taste,  the  more  distinguished  he  will 
be. 

He  learns  to  regard  his  sisters  as  only  tender  house- 
plants  or  toys  to  admire  or  amuse  himself  with,  not  as 
creatures  having  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  fitting  her  to 
compete  with  him  at  the  school  or  fireside.  Hence,  the  girl 
grows  up  with  enervated  nerves  and  a  weak  will  which  only 
fits  her  for  the  flattery  and  caprices  of  men,  and  the  boys 
naturally  enough  carry  their  earlier  impressions  through 
life  and  become  social  egotists  and  domestic  tyrants. 

Fathers  in  the  wealthier  circles  at  the  present  day  are  so 
eager  in  the  pursuit  of  gain,  so  engrossed  in  the  business 
which  brings  them  affluence  and  position  that  they  have  no 
time  to  attend  to  the  small  matter  of  training  their  sons. 
The  ruling  ambition  of  the  day  is  to  hoard  money,  and,  as 
a  rule,  men  of  the  world  spend  their  lives  in  amassing 
wealth  and  bequeath  it  to  their  children,  who  spend  it  in 
extravagance,  dissipation  and  profligacy. 

Mothers  are  equally  absorbed  in  the  ambition  for  popu- 
larity. Her  whole  time  is  devoted  to  the  entertaining  of 
fashionable  guests,  in  making  calls,  attending  receptions, 
balls  and  theatres,  and  in  selecting  her  toilet  and  informing 
herself  upon  matters  of  fashion  and  etiquette.  She  has  no 
time  for  the  nursery  and  companionship  of  her  children* 
Hence  the  little  hearts  that  are  ever  thirsting  for  love,  even 


8TURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  245 

as  the  flowers  thirst  for  the  sunshine  and  sweet  showers,  are 
left  to  starve  or  become  perverted  by  the  bad  influences  of 
those  who  have  no  intelligence  or  interest  in  them. 

Again,  if  we  follow  the  chain  to  the  other  extreme — to  the 
filthy  alleys  and  sub-cellars  where  children  are  born  and 
nursed  in  the  very  lap  of  poverty  and  crime — where  hu- 
manity is  met  at  the  cradle  with  brutality  and  followed  by 
it  to  the  tomb,  where  children  tremble  at  the  sound  of  the 
father's  approaching  footsteps,  and  who  never  hear  their 
names  spoken  by  the  lips  of  the  mother  except  in  abuses 
and  curses,  our  hearts  can  but  go  out  in  pity,  and  if  there 
be  a  prayer-hearing  and  a  prayer-answering  God  we  would 
plead  that  He  give  us  wisdom  and  power  to  save,  but  no 
heart  to  condemn. 

Mothers!  fathers!  look  after  your  children;  love  them 
more ;  counsel  them ;  guard  them  more  closely.  "  The  infant 
in  the  cradle  or  the  child  playing  at  your  feet  will  be  to  you 
a  blessing  or  a  curse,  accordingly  as  you  love  and  protect 
them,  or  neglect  them." 

A  kiss  upon  the  lips  of  childhood  is  a  more  powerful  re- 
straint than  the  lash  upon  the  back.  Children  need  love 
and  kindness  more  than  money,  and  there  are  in  the  world 
a  thousand-fold  more  human  beings  starving  for  love  than 
for  bread. 


CHAPTEE  III. 

SOCIAL  AND  MORAL  INEQUALITY  OF  THE  SEXES 

ENCOURAGES  LIBERTINISM.— MAN 

AND  WOMAN. 

The  purity  and  civilization  of  society  has  increased  just 
in  proportion  as  woman  has  advanced  toward  a  position  of 
moral,  social  and  intellectual  equality  with  man.  But  while 
crime  and  immorality  should  be  considered  equally  repre- 
hensible in  both  sexes,  men,  especially  in  the  worldly  circles 
of  society  which  claims  for  itself  distinction  and  popularity, 
are  distinguished  in  proportion  to  their  convivial  and  rakish 
qualifications.  But  while  the  libertine  is  virtually  encour- 
aged his  victim  is  invariably  a  by-word  and  the  subject  of 
coarse  jests  and  vulgar  ribaldry.  Hence,  men  have  naturally 
enough  learned  to  regard  their  immoral  practices  as  only  a 
little,  cunning  and  harmless  flirtation,  and  not  only  excus.i- 
ble  but  quite  complimentary  to  their  attractive  abilities. 
And  these  practices  are  not  confined  to  the  circle  of  unmar- 
ried men  and  those  who  proclaim  themselves  irresponsible 
and  men  of  the  world,  but  prevails  with  married  men  as 
well — men  who  occupy  responsible  positions  and  should  be 
examples  to  the  young. 

If  we  could  make  a  circuit  through  our  cities  at  any  time 
between  the  hours  of  8  o'clock  p.  m.  and  midnight,  visiting 
the  saloons,  brothels,  and  houses  of  infamy,  we  will  find  a 
large  proportion  of  their  guests  to  be  married  men — men 
who  claim  to  be  respectable,  men  who  are  the  heads  of  fam- 


STURIA-  STILES  TRAGEDY*  247 

ilies,  men  who  have  wives,  "sons  and  daughters  who  look  up 
or  down  to  them  as  examples. 

How  would  it  be  if  some  of  these  respectable  (?)  men 
should  return  to  their  homes  some  night  and  liud  the  wife 
of  their  bosom,  the  mother  of  their  children,  absent  on  a 
similar  errand  to  the  one  they  have  been  engaged  in,  or  at 
home  revelling  in  wine  and  debauchery  with  some  aban- 
doned man  ?  How  many  homes  are  there  that  would  not 
immediately  become  the  scene  of  tragedy  and  murder  ?  For 
where  is  there  a  man  that  would  for  a  moment  bear  the 
known  infidelity  of  a  wife?  Still  there  are  hundreds  of 
women  who  know  these  things  of  their  husbands,  and 
through  fear,  pride,  or  love,  hide  his  crime  from  the  world 
and  submit  to  a  life  of  heartache  and  smothered  grief  which 
at  last  wears  her  into  the  grave.  Why  it  is  that  men  claim 
immunity  from  self-degradation,  and  corruption,  is  beyond 
tho  power  of  human  wisdom  to  divine. 

It  seems  to  me  that  in  the  eyes  of  justice  and  righteous- 
ness man  and  woman  stands  equal  iii  accountability  for 
their  acts,  and  that  the  man  who  would  have  his  wife  pure 
ami  loyal  should  be  so  himself,  and  that  both  should  havo 
the  wisdom  to  appreciate  the  joy  which  pure  and  true  love 
brings  to  the  heart,  and  for  their  own  happiuess,  (if  not  from 
a  higher  motive,  being  true  for  the  sake  of  truth,)  pay  trib- 
ute to  its  worth  by  adhering  to  its  behests. 

In  the  name  of  truth  and  purity  we  fail  to  see  the  moral 
difference  between  a  house  of  ill-fame,  occupied  by  women 
who  entertain  men  of  the  same  character  as  themselves,  and 
a  club-house  or  club-rooms  where  men  fraternize  or  become 
contrabands  in  gambling,  drinking  and  debauchery.  AYo 
fail  to  see  tho  moral  difference  between  the  harlot  who  is 
bramlt-d  l>v  all  decent  people  and  scarcely  permitted  to  walk 
the  stivi-U  l>y  day-light  and  the  libertine  and  gambler  who 
drinks  with  her  in  her  saloon,  sits  by  her  side  in  the  theatre 


248  STURLA-STELES   TRAGEDY. 

and  consorts  "with  her  until  his  base  passions  are  surfeited. 
And  it  is  our  opinion  if  all  the  male  prostitutes  who  wear 
diamonds,  drink  champagne  and  sport  in  infamy  were  ta- 
booed, ostracised,  as  is  .the  female  prostitute,  there  would 
be  a  thinning  out  in  the  ranks  of  men  greater  than  was 
made  by  the  war.  Our  streets,  parlors,  theatres  and 
churches  would  be  as  desolate  as  though  the  land  had  been 
stricken  by  a  plague,  and  it  is  possible  that  tlirough  man's 
inordinate  ambition  for  popularity  he  would  be  led  to  re- 
form. 

But  it  is  not  men  alone  that  make  the  distinction  in  the 
moral  amenability  of  men  and  women,  but  to  the  shame  of 
woman,  be  it  said,  woman  is  often  the  worst  enemy  of  her 
sex.  While  she  welcomes  the  libertine,  gives  him  free 
access  to  her  home  and  trusts  her  innocent  daughters  in 
his  society,  his  victim,  even  though  she  reform,  is  bur- 
lesqued all  the  days  of  her  life;  and  it  is  frequently  the 
case  that  the  woman  who  is  really  immoral  herself,  but 
who  through  her  sagacity  or  intrigue  has  hid  the  fact  from 
the  world  and  gained  a  position  in  society,  is  the  one  most 
bitter  in  contempt  of  these,  so  called,  outcasts.  Such  a 
woman  is  often  the  one  most  likely  to  gather  her  garments 
closely  about  her,  fearing  that  their  hem  shall  touch  those 
of  her  polluted  sister.  She  is  the  one  who  sits  with  cold, 
saintly  dignity  upon  the  immaculate  heights  of  popularity, 
which  she  has  gained  through  her  sagacity  rather  than  her 
real  worth,  not  deigning  to  reach  down  and  touch,  even 
with  her  finger  ends,  her  unfortunate  sister  woman,  who, 
perhaps,  with  one  word  of  encouragement  or  recognition 
from  one  of  her  sex,  would  take  courage  to  rise  in  the 
strength  of  her  womanhood  and  obey  the  behests  of  her 
better  nature,  as  did  the  woman  of  old  to  whom  the  Savior 
said,  in  his  sweet  spirit  of  forgiveness:  "  Neither  do  I  con- 
demn thee;  go  and  sin  no  more," 


BTURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  249 

It  is  difficult,  indeed,  for  a  woman  who  has  taken  a  false 
step  to  reform,  for  the  reason  that  she  has  not  only  to  over- 
come her  own  deep  sense  of  degradation,  but  to  battle 
against  the  overpowering  scorn  of  her  own  sex  and  the 
sneers  and  insults  of  men. 

That  woman  should  be  uncharitable  to  woman  is  incom- 
prehensible— a  seeming  contradiction  to  her  nature.  Man 
at  the  best,  with  all  his  far-reaching  wisdom,  can  be  but  a 
weak,  poor  judge  of  woman's  heart.  "Man  is  strength, 
woman  is  beauty;  man  is  courage,  woman  is  love."  And 
it  is  impossible  for  him  to  comprehend  the  delicacy  and 
extreme  sensitiveness  of  her  nature.  In  body,  mind  and 
heart  woman  is  of  finer  and  choicer  mold  than  man.  At 
the  same  time  and  for  this  very  reason  she  is  more  suscep- 
tible to  the  influences  which  bear  directly  upon  her  spirit- 
ual nature,  and  as  the  sweetest  things  are  bitterest  when 
turned,  so  she,  when  perverted,  sinks  lower  in  the  scale  of 
degredation,  just  in  proportion,  as  she  is  capable  of  soar- 
ing higher  in  her  ideal  and  devotional  aspirations. 

In  these  conclusions,  suggested  by  the  tragedy  under 
consideration,  it  is  not  our  purpose  to  pronounce  a  eulogy 
upon  woman  or  to  seek  to  exculpate  her,  but  would,  if 
possible,  place  upon  her  as  well  as  upon  man  a  true  and 
just  estimate.  And  we  believe  that  the  facts  and  senti- 
ments herein  presented  are  those  universally  conceded  by 
men  as  well  as  women,  who  form  their  conclusions  upon 
the  basis  of  intelligence  and  morality.  With  the  morally 
unfolded,  woman  is  recognized  as  the  creature  of  man's 
especial  care  and  adoration.  As  mother,  wife,  sister  and 
daughter  her  influence  is  ever  over  him,  and  the  man  who 
is  worthy  the  name  of  man  would  die  rather  than  dishonor 
her. 

Woman's  love  is  the  morning  and  evening  star  of  the 
home  and  fireside.  It  is  the  star  that  never  sets.  It  shinea 


250  STURLA-STTLES  TRAGEDY. 

over  the  cradle ;  it  soothes  the  pain  and  kisses  the  tear  from 
childhood's  cheek;  in  the  midnight  hour  it  sheds  its  soft 
light  over  the  couch  of  pain  and  sickness;  it  follows'  the 
prodigal  child  through  the  checkered  and  oft  times  dark- 
ened path  of  sin;  in  the  hour  of  adversity  and  misfortune 
it  is  the  guiding  star  of  hope  to  the  husband,  reaching  after 
him  even  to  the  gutter,  and  in  the  sweet  light  of  forgive- 
ness and  love  seeks  to  lift  him  up  and  lead  him  to  a  better 
life;  it  shines  over  the  tomb  and  goes  not  down  in  the 
night  of  affliction. 

Man  is  what  woman  makes  him;  woman  is  what  man 
makes  her;  they  are  mutually  the  blessing  or  curse  of 
each  other.  In  the  language  of  Longfellow: 

"As  unto  the  bow  the  cord  is, 

So  unto  the  man  is  woman, 

Though  she  bend  him  she  obeys  him, 

Though  she  lead  him  still  she  follows — 

Useless  one  without  the  other." 

Man's  infidelity  to  woman;  woman's  infidelity  to  man  is 
a  curse  to  the  home,  to  society  and  to  the  world. 

We  should  have  a  reformation  in  society,  greater  than 
has  been  wrought  through  the  instrumentality  of  all  the 
legislatures,  courts  and  pulpits  in  the  laud,  if  every  woman 
could  be  so  educated  and  trained  as  to  fully  appreciate  the 
excellence  and  power  of  womanly  virtue  and  chastity,  and 
to  maintain  it  through  the  exercise  of  her  own  personal 
rights  and  freedom,  being  the  arbiter  of  her  own  destiny, 
obeying  the  behests  and  instincts  of  her  own  nature,  and 
were  man  so  educated  in  self-purity  as  to  enable  him  to 
occupy  the  place  God  designed  him  to  occupy  toward 
woman,  being  to  her  a  friend  and  protector,  honoring  her 
virtue  as  a  woman  and  as  the  mother  of  his  kind.  But 
instead  of  this,  man  is  the  creature  to  be  most  dreaded  and 
feared  by  woman — he  is  as  a  beast  of  prey  which  crouches 
in  the  secret  places  and  lurks  in  the  dark  alleys  and  street 


8TURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY.  251 

corners  that  he  may  ensnare  and  devour  her.  "But," 
says  one,  "  those  are  not  gentlemen  who  do  those  things — 
they  are  the  roughs — the  outlaws,  and  there  are  plenty  of 
women  who  are  just  as  bad."  Granted — they  are  roughs 
and  outlaws  and  resort  to  brute  force  to  accomplish  their 
vile  purpose.  But  are  they  really  any  worse  than  men  who 
take  a  more  refined  and  gentlemanly  course  to  accomplish 
the  same  end,  and  who  claim  better  things  ? 

As  to  there  being  plenty  of  women  equally  as  bad,  I 
would  ask — who  ever  heard  of  a  woman  gratifying  her  lust 
by  brute  force,  then  murdering  her  victim,  leaving  only  his 
mangled  corpse  to  tell  the  story  of  his  fate  ?  Who  ever 
lu-ar.l  of  a  woman  seducing  a  man  and  forsaking  the  off- 
spring of  their  mutual  sin  or  love,  as  the  case  may  be,  leav- 
ing it  to  perish  or  be  rescued  by  the  hand  of  charity?  Who 
ever  heard  of  a  woman  endowed  with  even  a  rudimentary 
maternal  affection  who  would  voluntarily  abandon  her 
babe,  illegitimate  though  it  be?  Nay  there  is  not  one 
woman  in  a  thousand  who  would  do  this  except  that  she  is 
compelled  by  the  crushing  stress  of  the  conditions  which 
society  enforces  upon  her;  and  in  most  instances  she  will 
not  only  cling  to  her  babe  with  a  tenacity  which  refuses  to 
yield,  but  equally  to  her  betrayer  who  abuses  and  maligns 
her.  This  fact  we  have  verified  in  the  case  of  Theressa 
Sturla. 

But  man  has  a  convenient  way  of  making  the  ballauce 
in  the  scale  of  justice  incline  toward  himself.  He  frames 
all  sorts  of  excuses  for  himself,  on  account  of  his  over- 
powering passions,  the  insidious  wiles  of  wicked  wnncn, 
etc.  Then  he  turns  around  and  burlesques  women  as  his 
inferior,  calls  her  the  weaker  vessel  and  makes  the  sillk^t 
excuses  for  her  dereliction.  In  a  local  paper  I  read  the 
following  paragraph:  "Some  outcast  women  fall  in  lovo 
with  men,  become  slaves  to  their  affections  and  delight  in 


252  STURLA-STILES   TKAGEDY. 

bestowing  gifts  upon  their  idol.  It  is  the  one  diversion 
from  the  miseries  and  horrors  of  their  degraded  lives." 
This  shows  that  even  in  her  worst  condition  of  degradation 
there  are  occasional  glimpses  of  her  better  instincts.  It  is 
not  to  be  diverted  from  the  horrors  and  miseries  of  her 
life  that  she  bestows  her  affections  upon  these  unworthy 
objects.  The  woman  whose  heart  was  wholly  corrupt  and 
incapable  of  affection,  would  never  choose  such  means  for 
diversion.  It  is  her  craving  for  love  that  impels  her.  It 
is  the  pleading  aspirations  of  her  better  nature  struggling 
and  reaching  upwards  through  the  darkness  of  sin,  toward 
the  light — the  sweet  light  of  the  purer  and  better  life. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

DEGRADATION  OF  LABOR,  AND  EXTRAVAGANCE 
IN  DRESS  AS  CAUSES  OF  PROSTITUTION. 

"  The  statistics  of  the  social  evil  shows  that  an  aban- 
doned life  is  not  chosen  by  one  in  ten  of  the  fallen.  The 
stress  of  circumstances  has  drawn  them  into  it.  And  it  is 
the  unanimous  testimony  of  physicians,  the  ones  most 
competent  to  judge,  that  women  as  a  rule  are  modest  and 
virtuous  to  a  degree  which  men  find  it  difficult  to  compre- 
hend. Indiscretion,  credulity,  starvation  and  an  over- 
weening love  of  dress  are  the  chief  causes  of  her  downfall. 
The  love  of  finery  and  the  want  of  the  means  of  obtaining 
it,  have  been  the  most  conspicuous  of  these." 

The  sentiment  contained  in  this  paragraph  is  a  prevalent 
one,  and  is  at  least  partially  true.  But  when  we  compare 
the  present  with  even  a  few  years  ago,  we  can  but  be  con- 
vinced, that  the  crime  of  prostitution  in  all  ranks  of 
people,  is  greatly  on  the  increase.  A  few  years  ago 
divorces,  elopements,  and  everything  like  illicit  relations 
between  the  sexes  were  considered  the  most  heinous  of 
crimes,  and  were  comparitively  of  very  rare  occurrence. 
Children  knew  little  or  nothing  of  those  practices  which 
are  now  so  common  with  the  youths  of  both  sexes.  And 
the  fact  cannot  be  disguised  that  while  licentiousness  in 
men  has  become  largely  prevalent,  and  is  looked  upon  by  a 
large  proportion  of  society)  as  excusable,  if  not  respec 
table,  the  number  of  females  who  take  up  lives  of  prostitu- 
tion is  increasing  every  day. 


254  STURLA-STILES  TRAGH&Y. 

There  are  girls,  beautiful  and  promising,  who  voluntarily 
abandon  good  homes  and  the  protection  of  tender  and 
loving  parents,  and  girls  who  forsake  honorable  •  and  re- 
munerative employment,  and  deliberately  enter  upon  lives 
of  shame.  There  are  boys  who  prefer  the  saloon  or  gamb- 
ling den  to  their  homes  and  the  society  of  decent  people. 
These  things  seem  unnatural.  But  the  general  habits  and 
customs  of  society  are  such  as  foster  and  stimulate  these 
tendencies.  The  majority  feed  upon  stimulants — not  only 
in  the  form  of  tobacco,  cigars,  wine  and  other  spirituous 
liquors,  but  highly  seasoned  food,  strong  tea  and  coffee, 
and  added  to  these,  is  the  universal  tendency  to  vanity  and 
idleness. 

In  primitive  days  when  people  subsisted  upon  plain, 
coarse  food,  and  when  children  were  trained  almost  from 
the  cradle  to  habits  of  usefulness  and  industry,  they  grew 
up  to  be  honest,  virtuous  men  and  women — divorces,  licen- 
tiousness, murder  and  suicides  were  of  rare  occurrence. 

The  healthy,  sweet  tempered,  rosy-cheeked,  tidy,  indus- 
trious and  kind  hearted  girl  was  the  one  most  popular. 
And  the  hard  working,  intelligent,  temperate,  saving, 
honest  and  loyal  young  man  was  the  one  most  respected. 

All  labor  whether  of  head  or  hands,  that  is  honestly  and 
efficiently  performed  and  adequately  remunerated,  is 
worthy. 

But  at  th  e  present  day  the  fruits  of  honest  industry  are 
not  only  below  par,  but  labor  is  considered  a  disgrace. 
None  but  speculators,  politicians,  professors,  members  of 
boards  of  trade,  exchanges,  clubs  and  rings  are  really 
popular.  The  honest  laborer  who  builds  houses,  constructs 
rail  roads,  fashions  machinery,  tills  the  soil  and  furnishes 
the  food,  shelter,  conveniences  and  luxuries  of  the  nation, 
are  the  ones  least  recognized  and  least  remunerated. 
Fraud  meets  with  greater  compensation,  greater  success 


STtmLA-STlLES  TRAGEDY.  255 

and  stands  higher  in  the  scale  of  popularity,  than  honesty. 
The  moneyed  nabob  looks  at  his  gold,  his  bonds,  his  rail 
road  stock,  chuckles  over  the  tricks  he  has  played  in  secur- 
ing them,  figures  his  interest,  lolls  back  in  his  cushioned 
chair,  smokes  his  cigar  and  congratulates  himself  on  being 
a  lord  and  a  non-tax  payer.  He  keeps  liveried  servants 
eager  to  obey  his  slightest  wish;  he  rides  in  his  carriage, 
drinks  his  wine,  patronizes  prostitutes,  sports  fine  horses 
and  jewelry.  His  wife  and  daughters  entertain  other 
iji'rttlcinen,  of  the  same  rank  and  are  nobby,  mincy  and 
stylish.  They  wear  seal  skins,  velvets,  silks  and  diamonds, 
and  catch  their  skirts  in  hand  as  they  sweep  past  the 
humbly  clad  laborer,  lest  the  immaculate  robe  of  aris- 
tocracy be  sprinkled  with  honest  dust. 

The  woman,  especically,  who  labors  for  a  living  cannot 
be  admitted  into  society.  Hence  she  will  resort  to  every 
possible  stratagem  to  conceal  the  fact,  and  will  virtually 
starve  herself  rather  than  have  it  known  that  she  works  or 
goes  humbly  clad.  And  even  the  more  rational  thinking 
people  who  recognize  and  deplore  this  state  of  things,  are 
in  the  main,  too  cowardly  to  step  out  into  the  vanguard  of 
reform  and  live,  and  act  their  honest  sentiments  and  con- 
victions, but  content  themselves  to  follow  in  the  rear  of  an 
army  of  shysters,  extortionists  and  legalized  robbers. 
Every  nerve  is  strained  for  fashion's  sake,  and  for  it  they 
not  only  submit  to  every  imaginable  discomfort,  but  make 
themselves  ridiculous. 

Really — taking  a  common  sense  view  of  the  matter,  the 
bride  of  a  Comanche  chief  would  not  appear  more  absurd 
than  the  corseted,  bustled,  painted,  perfumed,  be-ruffled, 
be-feathered  and  be-fwzzled  females  that  appear  on  the 
streets,  at  the  churches  and  places  of  resort  in  our  civilized 
land.  And  this  fever  for  show  and  popularity  extends  to 
all  classes,  rich  and  poor,  high  and  low. 


256  STURLA-STILES   TRAGEDY. 

If  we  would  follow  many  of  those  who  appear  in  public 
places,  arrayed  in  silks  and  laces,  to  their  homes,  we  would 
find  it  in  either  a  garret  or  basement  and  their  cupboard  as 
bare  as  that  of  Mother  Hubbard.  And  it  can  not  be  doubt- 
ed that  the  degradation  of  labor  and  the  prevailing  extrava- 
gance in  dress  are,  among  the  leading  causes  of  infamy. 
Sensuality  and  intemperance  in  all  things  has  become  pre- 
valent with  the  American  people.  It  is  growing  apace,  and 
if  a  moral  revolution  does  not  soon  come,  America  will  ere 
long  be  more  corrupt  than  ever  was  France  or  Spain  or  any 
of  the  ancient  dominions  that  fell  by  the  weight  of  their  own 
sin  and  pollution,  and  faded  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

"Woman,  especially,  is  compelled  to  dress  well  or  take  a 
back  seat  in  any  place  she  may  go,  even  to  the  churches. 
She  is  seldom  complimented  or  appreciated  for  her  excel- 
lencies of  character.  Her  beauty,  her  jewels  and  finery  are 
her  stock  in  trade, — for  them  she  is  praised,  and  they  give 
her  a  passport  wherever  she  goes.  The  idea  that  brain  and 
heart-culture  and  refinement  is  above  mere  physical  beauty 
and  bodily  decorations,  belongs  to  the  days  of  our  grand- 
fathers and  grand-mothers,  and  is  too  old-fogyish  for  any 
thing  like  the  present  day. 

The  ornament  of  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit  is  not  in  de- 
mand even  in  our  churches.  Nay,  the  church  whose  glitter- 
ing spire  points  Heavenward,  and  whose  choirs  sing  "  Come, 
ye  disconsolate  !  come,  ye  poor  and  needy !" — the  church 
whose  ministers  claim  to  teach  the  doctrines  and  follow  the 
example  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Nazarine,  who  walked  the 
streets  of  Jerusalem  in  bare  feet  and  who  in  the  extremity 
of  physical  want  exclaimed,  "  The  birds  of  the  air  have 
nests,  the  beasts  of  the  field  have  lairs,  but  the  Son  of  Man 
has  not  where  to  lay  his  head," — is  not  the  place  where  the 
poor  in  spirit  or  in  purse  can  obtain  a  blessing  or  a  wel- 
come. The  church  of  the  day  is  more  like  a  fashionable 


8TORLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  257 

bazaar,  where  people  show  dry  goods,  than  a  place  of  moral 
instruction  and  divine  worship.  The  wives  and  daughters 
of  the  wealthy  make  the  standard  cf  the  market,  and  they 
make  it  so  elaborate  that  women  of  ordinary  means  shrink 
from  the  contrast  which  their  humble  garb  would  make  with 
the  jewels,  feathers,  velvets,  silks  and  perfumes  of  the  fash- 
ionable church.  Hence  they  remain  at  home  and,  per- 
chance, instead  of  spending  the  Sabbath  in  profitable  read- 
ing or  reflection,  spend  it  in  devising  means  and  ways  by 
which  they  may  honestly  or  otherwise  procure  the  coveted 
wardrobe  and  be  equal  with  their  more  favored  sisters,  in 
appearance  at  least. 

It  seems  to  me  if  this  class  of  money-worshippers  and 
style-worshippers  would  take  off  their  gold,  and,  like  Aaron 
of  old,  make  a  golden  calf  and  worship  it  en-masse  at  stated 
times,  giving  the  rich  and  poor  an  equal  chance  at  the 
shrine,  it  would  do  away  with  much  of  the  envyings  and 
vanities  of  dress,  place  the  worshippers  upon  more  of  an 
equality  and  economize  time  and  money. 

"  The  seasons  are  not  more  sure  to  roll,  the  sun  to  shine 
or  the  rivers  flow,"  than  for  corruption  and  crime  to 
follow  these  abuses  of  the  good  gifts .  of  our  Heavenly 
Father.  And  these  lesser  vanities  and  hypocricies  are  the 
confluent  streams  which  go  to  make  the  mighty  rush  ing 
rivers  of  crime  which  are  overflowing  our  land,  and  the  duly 
of  those  who  wgnld  stay  the  deluge  lies  at  the  fountain's 
head. 

"  We  arc  not  worso  at' once, 
The  course  of  evil  l>cgins  so  slowly   , 
And  from  such  Miglit  source  un  infant  hand 
Might  stop  tlif  I'H-ach  with  clay, 
But  let  the  breach  grow  wider  and  philosophy, 
Ay,  and  religion  too,  may  strive  in  viiin 
To  stem  the  headlong  current." 


17 


CHAPTEB  V. 

INTEMPERANCE  A  CAUSE  OF  CRIME.— THERESSA 
STURLA  AND  CHARLES  STILES. 

Upon  reviewing  the  history  of  Charles  Stiles  and  Made- 
line it  is  obvious  that  one  great  incentive  to  the  crimes  com- 
mitted by  them  was  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks.  In  fact 
we  find  the  cause  of  a  majority  of  the  crimes  committed 
originating  in  this.  Indeed,  "  if  all  the  forms  of  evil  pro- 
duced in  the  land  by  intemperance  could  come  before  us  in 
one  horrid  array,  it  would  apall  the  nation  and  put  an  end 
to  the  traffic  in  ardent  spirits."  But  these  terrible  things 
have  been  so  often  actualized  before  our  eyes,  and  their 
heinousness  so  often  pictured  by  the  great  and  noble  men 
and  women  who  are  zealously  at  work  in  the  cause  of  tem- 
perance, that  it  seems  the  ears  of  the  people  must  have  be- 
come dull  of  hearing  and  the  hearts  insensible  of  feeling  or 
there  would,  ere  this,  have  been  an  improvement  in  the  ad- 
ministration upon  this  question. 

While  the  law  makes  it  the  duty  of  the  police  to  arrest 
the  Criminal,  of  the  prosecuting  attorney  to  prosecute,  the 
jury  to  convict,  the  Sheriff  to  imprison  or  execute,  should  it 
not  make  it  the  duty  of  those  officials  to  shut  up  and  blot 
out  the  low  rum  holes  and  brothels  which  indiscriminately 
deal  out  the  fatal  poison  which  "  drives  reason  from  the 
brain  and  puts  murder  and  rapine  into  the  heart  of  its 
victim  ?" 

It  is  not  strange  that  the  American  republic  has  become 
a  by -word  with  foreign  nations  and  that  its  corruptions  are 
growing  apace.  "  The  bar-room  is  the  school  of  American 


STtJRLA-STlLES  TRAGEDY.  259 

politics.  Each  year  100,000  drunkarks  go  staggering  to  the 
ballot-box  to  deposit  the  vote  which  shall  elect  to  the  re- 
sponsible government  of  this  mighty  republic  the  candidate 
whom  their  drunken  intelligence  taught  them  to  be  the 
proper  man."  It  may  not  be  in  the  power  of  legislation  to 
extirpate  this  evil,  even  by  their  most  constant  and  vigilant 
efforts  for  years  and  years  to  come,  for  it  has  taken  a  deep 
root  and  has  grown  to  a  gigantic  upas  whose  branches 
spread  over  our  churches,  our  school-houses,  our  manufac- 
tories, our  capital  and  our  homes,  and  whose  leaves  are  for 
the  poisoning  of  the  nation.  But  with  the  concurrent  aid  of 
an  enlightened  people,  it  is  in  the  power  of  these  magistrates 
and  legislatures  by  the  wise  administration  of  law,  by  their 
firmness,  wisdom  and  examples  of  temperance,  to  check  and 
eventually  blot  from  the  face  of  the  earth  this  terrible  curse 
and  thus  roll  down  to  the  coming  generations  of  our  child- 
ren, and  children's  children,  deeper  and  purer  streams  of 
prosperity  and  virtue.  But  these  political  sentinels,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  stand  guard  over  our  private  ranks  and  prevent 
them  being  invaded  by  any  enemy  to  peace  and  prosperity, 
are  asleep  on  the  post  of  duty — some  of  them  fast  asleep  in 
a  drunken  stupor.  Naught  but  the  piercing  cry  of  murder 
can  awaken  them.  Then  they  spring  to  their  feet,  rub  their 
bleared  eyes,  swear  vengeance  upon  the  murderer,  demand- 
ing a  life  for  a  life.  When  it  is  over,  they,  perchance,  over 
their  glasses  of  champagne  or  wine,  discuss  the  details  with 
as  much  indifference  and  glee  as  they  would  a  matinee  or 
cock-fight. 

And  there  are  men  in  what  is  sanctioned  as  respectable 
business,  men  whom  the  law  protects,  or  at  least  permits 
to  carry  on  their  respectable  business  unmolested,  whose 
chief  income,  directly  or  indirectly,  is  the  fruit  of  infamy 
and  crime.  Is  this  not  true  of  the  vendor  of  ardent  spirits 
who  stands  behind  the  bar  and  deliberately  deals  out 


260  STTTRLA- STILES  TRAGEDY?. 

potions  which  he  knows  will  breed  in  the  hearts  of  his  cus- 
tomers every  species  of  crime  and  debauchery  ?  And  does 
the  crimes  incited  by  this  beverage  of  hell  lie  with  the  one 
who  drinks  it,  and  who  perhaps  from  some  hereditary  or 
tempermental  cause  is  cursed  with  an  almost  irresistable 
craving  for  it,  or  with  the  one  who  distills  and  sells  it  in 
the  cool,  calculating  scheme  for  gain  ?  I  believe  in  ninety- 
nine  cases  out  of  one  hundred  the  drunkard  is  the  one 
most  excusable  and  most  deserving  pity. 

John  B.  Gough,  the  man  of  warm  heart  and  tender  sym- 
pathies— the  man  who  has  suffered  and  struggled  against 
this  accursed  appetite  to  a  degree  beyond  that  of  most 
others,  says  in  his  beautiful  and  touching  address,  "  Sym- 
pathy for  the  drunkard.  My  sympathies  go  out  to  the 
poor  victims  of  intemperance.  No  man  or  woman  in  this 
assembly,  perhaps,  knows  what  it  is  to  be  a  drunkard. 
Can  you  realize  what  it  is  to  feel  every  nerve  and  fibre  cry- 
ing out  for  stimulus  ?  '  Ah,'  said  a  man  to  me,  '  I  must 
have  it  till  I  die ;  and  I  am  as  essentially  damned  to-day  as 
if  sentence  had  been  passed  upon  me.'  "When  I  look  back 
upon  the  past,  and  remember  my  own  history,  it  seems  to 
me  as  if  my  whole  heart's  sympathies  went  out  to  the 
victims  of  this  vice.  What  shall  we  do  for  the  poor,  de- 
based, degraded  and  almost  hopeless  drunkards?  We 
look  upon  them  as  reckless  and  wilfully  wicked.  Society 
throws  them  out  of  her  superabundant  lap  as  things  un- 
worthy of  pity  or  sympathy;  and  yet  these  are  men  and 
women  with  hearts  as  warm  and  sensibilities  as  keen  as 
yours." 

Indeed,  what  shall  we  do  for  the  poor  unfortunate  crea- 
tures more  than  to  remove  from  our  streets  and  public 
places  the  temptations  which  work  their  ruin  ? 

It  is  beyond  the  scope  of  human  intelligence  to  grasp 
or  compute  the  damages  done  to  soul  and  body  which 


8TURIA-8TILES  TRAGEDY.  261 

this  traffic  in    poisonous    drinks    brings    upon  us  as  a 
nation. 

"  Undeniable  statistics  show  that  this  hellish  cauldron  of 
the  still  consumes  enough  grain  to  make  bread  to  feed  all 
the  poor  in  our  land.  Yes,  more  than  this.  We  find  that 
the  value  of  all  the  slaughtered  animals,  home  manufac- 
tures, forest  products,  market,  garden  and  orchard  pro- 
ducts is  annually  less  than  the  cost  of  our  nation's  drink 
bills."  Is  it  any  wonder  that  want  and  poverty  stalk 
abroad,  and  that  crime  lurks  in  the  by-ways  and  secret 
places  ?  And  yet  our  officers  to  which  the  legislatures  have 
confided  the  discretionery  power  to  grant  license,  and  the 
courts  who  have  the  power  to  prevent  the  ruin-sellers  from 
violating  the  rights  conferred  by  virtue  of  a  license,  not 
only  permit  its  abuse,  but  are  often  the  rum-seller's  best 
customer.  And  this  corruption  has  become  so  prevalent 
that  the  man  who  depends  upon  public  patronage  in  earn- 
ing his  daily  bread  dares  not  invade  it.  Murder  and 
rapine  is  of  every  day  occurrence.  Our  sons  and  daughters 
are  not  safe  to  walk  the  streets  except  in  the  broad  light  of 
day.  Every  allurement  which  the  practiced  sagacity  of 
unprincipled  men  and  women  can  invent  is  hung  out  to 
decoy  the  innocent  and  unsuspecting,  and  to  rob  them  of 
their  money,  their  purity  and  their  reason.  The  streets  of 
our  cities  are  aglow  with  the  blaze  of  gas  and  glitter  of 
crystal  in  saloons  and  houses  of  infamy.  Seductive  music 
floats  out  upon  the  air.  Bewitching  eyes  peep  from  wind- 
ows, voluptuous  forms  float  in  the  dance  or  figure  in  ob- 
scene tableaux,  and  when  the  curiosity  of  the  unwary  once 
induces  him  to  cross  the  threshold- and  take  the  glass  which 
inebriates,  he  is  soon  lost  in  the  maze  of  sensuality.  The 
higher  and  better  instincts  of  the  heart  are  lulled  to  sleep, 
and  he  forgets  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  purity,  honor 
pr  self-denial,  and  'he  gradually  "goes  dowu  the  fatal 


262  STURLA-STILES  TRAGEDY. 

sliding  scale  to  ruin-  a  ruin  mo»e  awful  than  the  imagina- 
tion can  describe." 

Much  intelligent  argument  is  used  to  discourage  the  pro- 
hibition act,  and  undoubtedly  the  honest  sentiments  of 
many  intelligent  and  philanthropic  persons  are  in  the 
direction  of  Temperance  vs.  Prohibition.  Their  reasoning 
is  that  the  temperate  use  of  spirituous  liquors  is  not  only 
admissible,  but  conducive  to  health  and  happiness,  and 
that  a  man  who  cannot  drink  without  getting  drunk  is  no 
man  at  all,  but  a  beast,  richly  deserving  all  the  suffering 
that  can  be  brought  upon  him,  and  that  he  is  scarcely  en- 
titled to  a  place  among  civilized  people.  This  argument 
might  have  been  appropriate  fifty  years  ago,  but  at  this 
age,  when  there  is  almost  a  saloon  in  every  man's  door- 
yard,  where  gambling,  drinking  and  obscenity  is  practiced 
at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night,  and  where  the  appetite 
for  stimulants  has  by  transmission  and  every-day  habit 
become  second  nature  to  both  male  and  female,  it  is 
doubtful  if  any  medium  ground  can  be  taken  in  the  work 
of  reform. 

Human  intelligence,  when  properly  trained,  is  undoubt- 
edly capable  of  self-control,  and  finds  its  highest  satisfac- 
tion only  in  the  domain  of  temperance,  purity  and  good- 
ness. But  it  is  a  fact  that  comes  within  the  observation  or 
experience  of  every  intelligent  person  that  there  are  per- 
sons possessed  of  the  highest  and  noblest  qualities  of  heart 
and  head  who  could  not  safely  taste  a  drop  of  spirituous 
drink.  I  have  myself  known  of  more  than  one  instance 
where  individuals  had  reformed  from  the  habit  of  drink- 
ing— individuals  of  superior  mental  and  moral  attainments 
who  had  sought  strength  and  refuge  in  the  fold  of  the 
church,  who  by  tasting  wine  at  the  holy  communion, 
which  typifies  the  flesh  and  blood  of  the  Saviour,  had  the 
appetite  for  drink  so  aroused  as  to  be  irresistable,  and  in  a 


8TDRLA-STILES   TBAGEDY.  263 

few  hours  after  partaking  the  sacrament  were  beastly 
drunk. 

I  was  told  by  an  eminent  jurist  in  Franklin,  Pennsylva- 
nia,— a  man  of  gpreat  moral  excellence  and  highly  esteemed 
by  his  numerous  friends  and  acquaintance,  but  who  was  for 
years  an  habitual  drinker,  but  now  permanently  reformed, 
that  he  would  not  for  all  he  was  worth,  (and  he  was  a  111:111 
of  wealth,)  allow  a  drop  of  spirituous  liquor  to  touch  his 
lips.  Said  he:  "I  can  not  abstain  from  excessive  drink- 
ing except  by  letting  it  entirely  alone."  Persons  of  differ- 
ent temperament  from  him  might  think  he  was  not  much 
of  a  man  to  give  in  to  such  a  weakness,  but  I  verily  be- 
lieve that  there  are  men  who  deserve  more  credit  for  being 
able  to  keep  from  being  constantly  drunk,  than  are  some 
others  for  never  drinking  at  all. 

And  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  evil  passions  of  Stiles 
were  lashed  into  frenzy  by  this  demon  of  the  still,  and  that 
much  of  the  sins  and  excesses  of  both  were  attributable  to 
the  poisoned  glass — the  gaming  table — the  house  of  revelry 
and  profligacy.  But  the  past  can  not  be  undone.  The 
grave  stands  between  him  and  those  who  loved  him  and 
prayed  for  his  redemption. 

We  can  do  nothing  for  the  dead  but  bury  them  from  our 
sight,  strew  flowers  upon  their  graves  and  say  what  we  can 
of  good  concerning  them. 

Madeline  lives.  "What  can  we  do  for  her?  There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  she  possessed  many  latent  excellencies  of 
character.  There  were  occasional  glimpses  of  them  all 
along  her  terrible  career.  Notwithstanding  her  heart  was 
stained  with  sin — notwithstanding  her  wild  caprices — be- 
neath it  all  is  a  woman's  heart,  capable  of  the  deepest 
devotion  and  self-sacrifice.  The  tenacity  with  which  she 
clung  to  Charles — the  sacrifices  which  she  made  for  him 
from  time  to  time — her  determination  to  shield  him  from 


264  STURLA-STLLES   TRAGEDY. 

recrimination,  and  suffer  alone  from  bis  cruelty — her  charity 
to  the  poor — her  care  for  the  little  boot-black — her  devo- 
tion to  the  dying  father — the  pity  she  expressed  for  her 
mother  when  she  herself  was  writhing  under  the  hand  of 
retribution,  shows  that  there  is  something  in  her  nature 
worth  redeeming.  And  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  her  reflec- 
tions in  the  solitary  prison  cell  and  all  that  she  has  suffered 
as  a  legitimate  and  unavoidable  result  of  sin,  may  be  to 
her  as  a  crucible  of  fire  which  shall  cleanse  and  purify  her, 
and  that  when  she  again  emerges  into  the  world  so  full  of 
temptation  and  woe  she  may  come  a  saved  and  regenerated 
woman,  and  that  by  the  encouragement  and  aid  of  every 
good  woman  she  may  be  helped  upward  and  onward  toward 
the  clearer  and  purer  realms  of  virtue  and  peace. 

It  seems  to  me  as  I  write  these  concluding  lines  that  I 
hear  the  voice  of  Charles  Stiles  calling  unto  me  from  the 
realm  of  souls,  saying — Protect  her — restrain  her  feet  from 
again  entering  the  gates  of  sin — our  crimes  were  mutual — 
we  mutually  suffered  from  them — she  not  more  than  I — 
but  in  the  beautiful  beyond  is  hope  and  forgiveness — God 
is  merciful !  The  heart  throbs  of  the  murderess,  Madeline, 
answers  him  through  the  pleadings  of  her  better  nature, 
for  forgiveness,  for  love,  for  strength  to  rise  to  the  purer 
altitudes  of  goodness  and  happiness.  And  both  join  in 
saying  to  me — "  Close  thy  doors  against  the  destroyer ! 
Withhold  the  "footsteps  of  thy  children  from  entering  those 
places  more  dangerous  than  the  lion's  den  !"  Teach  thy 
sons  and  thy  daughters  the  religion  of  temperance,  of  pur- 
ity and  love.  Make  the  home  a  haven  of  peace  to  which 
the  child,  however  sinful,  may  return,  knowing  that  charity 
and  love  will  be  extended  toward  them,  and,  if  possible,  all 
errors  and  wounds  be  corrected  and  healed  through  the 
power  of  kindness  and  forgiveness ! 

Let  the  grand  anthem  of  love  be  sounded  in  the  paternal 


STUBLA-STILES   TRAGEDY.  265 

heart — let  the  children  and  the  household  join,  filling  the 
very  air  with  the  music  of  glad  hearts !  Then  will  the 
homo  send  into  the  world  pure  and  good  men  and  women. 
The  curse  of  drunkenness,  of  harlotry,  libertinism  and 
murder  will  fade  as  darkness  before  the  rising  sun.  The 
shadow  of  the  gallows  and  the  prison  will  no  longer  stretch 
gloomily  over  the  land,  "  but  wisdom  will  sit  in  the  legis- 
lature, justice  in  the  courts,  charity  in  the  church,  and,  fin- 
ally, the  world  will  be  controlled  by  liberty  and  love,  by 
justice  and  mercy." 


SOT? 
TB7 
(883 


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